The BrianCrystal Chronicles
by cathykcool
Summary: Sequel to Heir of Voldemort. *Chapter 28 up* Havoc has been bestowed upon your favorite clan of insane(in every sort of way) bunch of older and younger Hogwarts Members. Losing someone is hard, but will Cate live through this ordeal?
1. Athena, Goddess of Wisdom

(A/N: Alright, here's the next book. I, Cathykcool started this chapter. All the odd numbered chapters were written by me, and the evens written by Meagan (HpGrl). Join us as we add several more exciting characters, and as the ones you already know wreak havoc. So PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!  
  
--Cathykcool)  
  
  
  
The Brian/Crystal Chronicles  
  
By Meagan and Cathy  
  
   
  
Chapter 1  
  
Athena, Goddess of Wisdom  
  
   
  
"Summer!"  Brynn shrieked, getting off the train.  She sighed, and tossed a firework in the air.  She didn't care if there were Muggles around.  School was out, and she didn't have to do annoying assignments any longer.  
  
    
  
"I'd rather be in school..." Ethan sighed.  He pointed to Felicity.  "I have to go home with that..."  
  
    
  
"Well, you'll be living at our house most of the time anyways... not like we live in a specific house... We just kind of... meander... Once day we live at our house... the next day it's yours..." Bryce added...  
  
    
  
"What about me?"  Mac said desperately.  "I live with Lynnsey!  Adopt me please!"  
  
    
  
"Ethan!  Come on darling, time to go..." Cate called, balancing Jack and Felicity's trunk.  
  
    
  
"Coming, mom!  See you later guys!  And Brynn..." he called, "No!  I have to share a seat with Lissy?"  
  
    
  
"Poor thing..." Brynn sighed.  "Oh, there's Mum and Dad. C'mon Bryce..."  
  
    
  
"Just a second Brynn... I forgot my wand on the train!"  
  
    
  
"Oh, hurry it up!"  
  
    
  
Of course, Bryce really wanted to say goodbye to Reina.  She was standing, a little nervously, by a sort of pole thing.  She smiled at the sight of him.  
  
    
  
"My parents are already here, so this has to be short, I'm sorry."  
  
    
  
"It's okay Bryce..." Reina said, with her soft accent.  "Mine are sure to show up soon as well... Now, we can meet at nights, and you can get Ethan to cover for you?"  
  
    
  
"Yup.  And don't forget about the Muggle Studies Trip!"  
  
    
  
"Yes... Meeting real Muggles! American ones at that!"  
  
    
  
"BRYYYYYYYYYYYYYCEEEEE!" hollered a voice.  
  
    
  
"Brynn wants to get home... She hasn't tended to all her stuff, and she's worried one of the girls has gotten it..."  
  
    
  
"I'll see you later, I love you!"  Reina said, as Bryce kissed her quickly, waved, and hurried off.  
  
    
  
"Me too!"  
  
    
  
The Black vehicle was chaos.  Sirius and Elizabeth occupied the front, Brooke; the baby, strapped in a car seat in the middle seat, Bridgett was bouncing around, eager to hear about Hogwarts.  And worst of all:  Sirius was driving.  
  
    
  
"How was the term darling?  Brian survive?"  
  
    
  
"Yeah mum, he's still getting off the train I think..." Brynn said, piling in next to Bridgett.  "Hey, did you give Paige back to Cate yet?"  
  
   
  
"Yeah, she's gone off to check out the train..." Lizzie answered.  
  
    
  
"And you mean Bridgett is still sitting here, and she's not off getting lost?"  
  
    
  
"Ahh... Brinny, Bridgett is tied to her seat... She cannot move."  Sirius said.  
  
    
  
Brynn laughed aloud, and it was already known to her that this was going to be another crazy summer.  Bryce came skidding around the corner, and flung himself into the van.  Brynn laughed once again, and ruffled his hair, which he had styled to perfection.  He shouted, and attacked her hairdo...  
  
    
  
Sirius and Lizzie smiled as well.  This was the life they wanted, everyone was happy, nothing was wrong at all, and the happy chaotic mood fit them well...  
  
    
  
Cate was trying to round up her children.  Bellum was holding Jack, and trying to give him a bottle.  Ethan was looking around for Paige with Cate, and Felicity was sneaking off to visit Malicia, Blick, and Ariana before they left.  
  
    
  
"Paige!"  Ethan said lazily.  "Where arrrrrre you?"  
  
    
  
"Mommy!  Mommy!  Mommy!"  Squealed a small girl from behind Cate.  She had dark brown hair, and here eyes were flashing gold.  She hugged Cate, causing her knees to buckle.  
  
    
  
"Paigie... We were looking for you sweetie.  Did you have fun with Grandma and Grandpa?"  
  
    
  
"Yes!  They let me have all the candy I wanted, and we went to Quidditch games, and met new people!"  Paige said.  
  
    
  
"It appears you have had too much sugary candy... Calm down... We're going now..."  
  
    
  
"But I want to look at the train some more!  Please mommy?"  
  
    
  
"No, we have to go..."  
  
    
  
Ethan chuckled... Paige was like he was.  Too much energy, cheerful and bright.  Felicity usually avoided sugary foods, ate healthy, and worried about every little aspect of herself.  She was much like Cate.  Felicity shut Paige up, making her cry, and causing Jack to cry, and therefore causing angry parents.  Ethan couldn't wait to get home and visit Brynn and Bryce again.  Or go to his room...  
  
    
  
"Ethan, did you know we're chaperoning your trip to the States?  Since we both know the-" Bellum started.  
  
    
  
"NOO!!!!"  Ethan said, horrified.  "You're- You- You are my parents!  You can't go on a trip with my classmates!  How embarrassing is that?  Did you ever want your parents going on trips? Wait, I take that back...  Just... Just..."  
  
    
  
"Oh, it's not that bad, besides, your schoolmates like us..." Bellum grinned, skidding along down the road, as if he forgot the use of brakes...  
  
    
  
"Arrggh!"  Ethan groaned.  "Well, try not to do anything too embarrassing..."  
  
    
  
"What have we done, dear child, that embarrasses you so?"  Cate snorted.  
  
    
  
"You... You dress like a teenager!  And you act... you're so sophisticated!"  
  
    
  
"He likes his father better dear."  Bellum teased, smiling at Cate.  
  
    
  
"Well that father has teenage girls that seem to think certain things about him...  Remember that group that asked about my 'boyfriend'?  I practically died of laughter..."  
  
    
  
"You fit in all too well... You're supposed to be my mum and dad..."  
  
    
  
"Well, we'll have fun."  
  
    
  
"Fun."  Felicity hissed.  "What are you going to do with me?"  
  
    
  
"You get to stay with the Blacks."  
  
    
  
"NO!" Felicity said, with a look of pure horror.  "That place is chaotic!"  
  
    
  
"You have Jack and Paige to play with... and Brian."  
  
    
  
"Oh, fun."  
  
   
  
"Exactly!"  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Brian was already thinking about his summer.  For some time, the twins would be going to America for their Muggle Studies trip...  That meant no Brynn and Bryce, but there was a downside as well...  Felicity was staying at his house.  She was to the point where she was so evil she was scary.  Paige and Jack didn't bother him much, but the thought of Felicity harassing him for 2 whole weeks....  
  
    
  
"Can I go to Crystal's house?" he asked Sirius.  
  
    
  
"When?"  Sirius said, he knew Crystal quite well, not that he ever told Cate he talked to Meagan and her children.  
  
    
  
"When Felicity is over here."  
  
    
  
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt... Don't like your niece well enough?"  
  
    
  
"She's... well, she's different.  A little anti-social."  
  
    
  
"Well, if Harry and Meagan want you, you can stay there for a bit..."  
  
    
  
"Thanks dad!"  Brian said, delighted.  
  
    
  
"Another Black and Potter friendship. What will the next disaster be..."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Okay Ethan, now, I'm going to see... Reina tonight… You have to pretend I'm over there.  Cause a few explosions just to make it believable.  Any sign of Brynn, or any member of my family, tell me as quickly as possible and I'll appear over there...."  
  
    
  
"Sure thing. " Ethan sighed.  "So if I had a secret girlfriend, you'd do this for me?"  
  
    
  
"Of course..."  
  
   
  
    
  
"So Miss Brinny, how's life for my little girl going?"  Sirius said, sitting next to Brynn on the couch.  
  
    
  
"Pretty good.  It was a good year.  So you got Cate to tell me all about my powers?  I got them this year.  I don't know them all... yet..."  
  
    
  
"Yes... She knows about them.. I don't have those powers.  Those are from your mum's side, and she really doesn't have many of them.  Cate's a specialist by now..."  
  
    
  
"After all she went through..."  
  
    
  
"And all we went through... She was still crazy when Ethan was born...  But she's got a good husband.  Speaking of that...  How's the social scene?"  
  
    
  
"You're such a loser!"  Brynn laughed.  "Stop trying to act cool!"  
  
    
  
"So I'm not cool?"  Sirius said, pretending to look hurt.  
  
    
  
"No..."  
  
    
  
"Well, thank you, darling daughter.  So how are all your friends?  Mac doing well?"  
  
    
  
"Yeah... I might ask him out- erm.. Over tomorrow..."  
  
    
  
"OoOOoOoOOOoooo... This is far too precious!  Does my little baby have a boyfriend?"  
  
    
  
"Maybe..."  Bryn said, going slightly red.  
  
    
  
"Ahh... That's great..."  
  
    
  
"No stories, no please.... I don't want a story about when you were in school..."  
  
    
  
"Aww...."  Sirius said, pretending to be hurt again.  "I can hear Brooke crying, nice talking to you again Brinny!  See you tomorrow morning!"  
  
    
  
"Wouldn't count on the morning!  I'll be sleeping in!"  
  
    
  
Brynn headed off to her room.  Her nice, peaceful room.  She could be all- alone, by herself.  It was a nice room, decorated mostly with Quidditch posters, and comfy chairs, and a large comfy bed.  She sighed, changed into her pajamas, and flopped on the bed.  
  
    
  
"Well, finally, I was beginning to think you'd never sit down to rest." said a voice.  
  
    
  
"Who are you?"  Brynn squeaked, falling off her bed.  
  
    
  
"Relax...  I'm just the voice in your head, and if you calm down to listen to me, you'll figure it all out."  
  
    
  
"Great... Wonderful, lovely!  I'm hearing voices!"  
  
    
  
"No, I live inside your head now, I'm part of your mind now."  
  
    
  
"Explain then!"  Brynn said, to herself of course.  She was beginning to think she was crazy...  
  
    
  
"Well...  Stupid Black curse..." The voice hissed.  "You are a Black, correct?"  
  
    
  
"Yes, I'm Brynn Black..."  
  
    
  
"Interesting...  Well, the Black curse.  Every Black has it, some get it worse than others.  Take Cate for example...  She got the best looks, but her mind went bad.  Her mind couldn't handle her powers, and it snapped..."  
  
    
  
"Wait a second... You know about Cate?"  
  
    
  
"I know all...  All of the past anyways.  Even what happened yesterday.... and thousands of years ago..."  
  
    
  
"Well, just continue..."  
  
    
  
"Your part of the Black curse...  You have what is know as 'The Voice.'  That's me.. I'm not a Black, I was just an ancient evil witch that was condemned to this as a punishment.  To live for all eternity in people's minds."  
  
    
  
"Sounds great.  Why my mind?"  
  
   
  
"You're a Black."  
  
    
  
"That makes loads of sense."  
  
    
  
"Nothing makes sense.  It's just one of those things you have to live with.  I know how you all think though, so I've decoded everything to make this easier..."  
  
    
  
"What?"  
  
    
  
"Oh, you all think the same way.  It's a Black family thing.  But personally, I'd like to be Cate's voice... she's an interesting character.  I was once like her-- It got me here.  I was an evil girl...  But I had to leave it all behind.  My family, and few friends.  I didn't die, I was sentenced to live for all eternity.  Let me tell you, there's no crime worse than that...."  
  
    
  
"I can imagine.  So what is your name anyways?"  
  
    
  
"Hallucia Mystique.  Don't ask, I didn't choose my own revolting name.  Not that Brynn is the best name in the world either...."  
  
    
  
"Hey... I don't have to listen to you."  
  
    
  
"Oh, yes you do, but I'm not always here, I can visit other minds on the occasion...  I just entered yours today...  I have the power to choose who I get to bother.  There were several unfortunate families that have the same type of curse as the Blacks..."  
  
    
  
"Wonderful."  
  
    
  
"Yes indeed."  
  
    
  
"Can you just let me sleep?  I didn't ask for some evil over lady to be apart of my mind...  No one else can hear you?"  
  
    
  
"No one.  Not a soul..."  
  
    
  
"Good... Goodnight, Hallucia."  
  
    
  
"Night-night.. Brinny."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Hum de dum."  
  
    
  
"Ethan, will you quit that?  I'm in the middle of something!"  
  
    
  
Bryce rolled his eyes, and continued on conversation with Reina.  Ethan kept mind-waving odd phrases such as "Hum de dum." and "La, la, la, la... I'm a horse... I'm a dog..." to him, and it was getting annoying.  
  
   
  
"Sorry, it isn't too fun to keep watch..."  
  
    
  
"Well, do something else in the meantime... Blow something up!"  
  
    
  
"I've blown up the chandelier, 3 vases, and some strange object already!"  
  
    
  
"Well, just watch a few more minutes, I have to say goodbye."  
  
    
  
Bryce smiled at Reina, who smiled back.  It had been another long, in-depth conversation.  Bryce and Reina talked an awful lot...  Bryce lifted Reina's chin up, and kissed her softly.  She smiled, and returned the kiss.  
  
    
  
"I have to go, I left Ethan on guard, and he's probably impatient by now... I'll talk to you later, bye!"  
  
    
  
"Adios!"  
  
    
  
Reina sighed, and so did Bryce.  They kissed once more, and both went their separate ways.  Bryce appeared in front of Ethan and glared.  Ethan rolled his eyes and grinned.  
  
    
  
"Look here, Bryce Black.  I don't have to do this for you.  I can go tell Brynn, or anyone I please.  I don't plan on it, but don't take so long!"  
  
    
  
"Sorry, I was caught up in the moment..." Bryce sighed.  
  
    
  
"Hopeless Romantic... Wait- I take that back, you're not half as bad as my parents...."  
  
    
  
"They're chaperoning our trip, aren't they?"  
  
    
  
"Don't remind me!"  
  
    
  
"Well, I'll be off now then, talk to you again soon!"  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Brynn stretched. It was morning again, and there was no sign that the voice had bothered her.  Perhaps it was a bad dream?  She shook her head and concluded that indeed, she had been around Bryce too long and was starting to think herself mad.  
  
    
  
She slid her slippers on her feet, stretched once more and appeared in the kitchen for breakfast.  Sirius was cooking, which meant there was nothing being cooked.  Cold cereal was for breakfast this morning...  
  
    
  
"Mornin' Bridge..." she said, stifling a yawn, and talking to Bridgett, who had some sort of sugary cereal.  
  
    
  
"Good morning Brynn!  Mum said she'd take us to Diagon Alley today!  We can go shopping, and we can get new-"  
  
    
  
"Can I see if Mac wants to come over?"  
  
    
  
"Surely."  Sirius said, through a mouthful of toast.  "Just be a good girl and clean the dining room for your mother..."  
  
    
  
"Argh... That room is huge..." Brynn grumbled.  
  
    
  
"I know, but do you want to see Mac?"  
  
   
  
Brynn stuck out her tongue and made a face.  She ate her breakfast, and then set off to clean the Dining Hall.  It took more than a wave of a wand to clean the place, and took her about half an hour to clean.  Elizabeth stood back to watch, and point out every mistake Brynn made.  
  
    
  
"Now you can call Mac.. Maybe you should wake Bryce up, and call Ethan over to complete the group."  Lizzie said, laughing at her distressed looking hairdo.  
  
    
  
"Okay... BRYYYYYYYYCE!  Wake up!" she said telepathically.  She also threw in a small zap...  
  
    
  
"Brynn... That hurt... What'd ya do it for?"  
  
    
  
"Mac's probably coming over.  Get Ethan, I'm going to talk to him."  
  
    
  
"Mrgh... Alright..." he mumbled back in his head.  
  
    
  
"Okay, good."  
  
    
  
Brynn waved her wand (Hogwarts had gotten rid of the 'No Magic over the summer' Rule.  It was now, 'No magic in the Muggle world over the summer') and had changed into her robes, and her hair was neat once again.  She walked over to the fireplace and picked up some Floo Powder, and thought about it for a minute and shouted, "McKenzie residence!"  
  
    
  
A few wild minutes later, she coughed up ashes and fireplace dust, and appeared in the middle of a white living room, on her knees.  Half a second later, Mac rounded the corner, skidding on his socks.  His face brightened as soon as he saw Brynn, now standing up, coughing and brushing herself off.  
  
    
  
"Brynn!  Nice to see you again!  It has been so long!"  
  
    
  
"Yeah, a whole day is too long..." Brynn said, still brushing ashes off herself.  "Wanna come to my house?"  
  
    
  
"Sure! MOM! I'M GOING TO BRYNN AND BRYCE'S! BYE!"  
  
    
  
"That went over well...  Your mom cares a lot about you...."  
  
    
  
"Yeah...  Mom likes to get me out of the house... It's a lot quieter that way."  
  
    
  
"Imagine that!"  Brynn laughed.  
  
    
  
"So what's planned?  Anything special?"  
  
    
  
"Oh... not really.  Bridgett said something about shopping."  
  
   
  
"That's always nice.  Maybe we can get the hour to ourselves though...."  
  
    
  
"That's what I was thinking.  Ethan's coming over, so we've got the whole lot of us..."  
  
    
  
"Great... Your parents don't want to have a house when they return then?"  
  
    
  
"Naw... My dad knows what it's like and all... He was a Marauder.  If there ever was anyone who could cause more trouble..."  
  
    
  
"Well, that's a good thing... I wish my parents were as understanding.... Why are we still standing here anyways?"  
  
    
  
"Good question...  Black estate!"  Brynn said, tossing some Floo Powder in the fireplace.  Mac followed suit, and by Floo Powder, arrived at Brynn's mansion before she did, and on his feet.  Brynn wasn't used to Floo Powder, she usually just appeared places, but Mac couldn't do that, so she had tried the Floo Powder approach.  
  
    
  
"Alright?"  
  
    
  
"Yes, I'm fine... "  Brynn grumbled.  
  
    
  
"Look it that!  Brynn can't use Floo Powder properly!"  Bryce called, laughing from the living room.  
  
    
  
"Shut up... "  Brynn said, this time just dusting herself off magically.  
  
    
  
"I told mum we're not going shopping, they left already, so it's too late for you if you wanted to go..."  
  
    
  
"Hey, fine with me."  Mac smiled.  "How long are they gone?"  
  
    
  
"The whole day I think..." Brynn answered.  
  
    
  
"Perfect..."  
  
    
  
"Hey, like, are we doing anything, or are Brynn and Mac going to sit here and kiss each other the whole time?" Ethan said, a little frustrated.  
  
    
  
"No," Mac confirmed.  "We can go someplace else and make out..."  
  
    
  
Bryce and Ethan rolled their eyes.  Brynn smiled, and put her arms around Mac.  The other two boys made a face.  Mac leaned in and kissed her, and she kissed him back.  
  
    
  
"Well, maybe it's us that must find another room..." Bryce suggested.  
  
    
  
"Good idea..."  
  
    
  
"Alone at last... We'll meet up with those two later..." Mac sighed.  
  
    
  
"Mm-hmm..." Brynn said, kissing him again.  
  
    
  
"Hey-y... Slow down." Mac said suddenly.  
  
    
  
"What?"  
  
   
  
 "Well, you and I both know where this sort of thing leads..."  
  
    
  
"We aren't little kids anymore, you know that, right?"  
  
    
  
"Yeah... But... erm..."  
  
    
  
"Sorry..." Brynn said, pulling away.  
  
    
  
"No, I didn't mean that... I didn't tell you to stop... I just said think about everything...."  Mac said, pulling her back and kissing her.    
  
   
  
"Then maybe we are the one who should get a room...."  Brynn smiled.  
  
   
  
"I think...." Mac paused.  "That's a good idea..."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Bryce... We just left Mac alone with your sister."  
  
    
  
"Well, Mac's our friend... If Brynn gets together with anyone, at least it was Mac.  Besides, she's much less crabby, and we get hit far less than before."  
  
    
  
"I guess it's a lot brighter if you see it from that angle... Good point my friend."  
  
    
  
"So where are we off to?"  
  
    
  
"Erm..."  
  
    
  
"Yes?"  
  
    
  
"Hogsmeade.  Mum and Dad went to Diagon Alley.  We can go to Hogsmeade."  
  
    
  
"Sounds good to me.  Or we could like, invite people over..."  
  
    
  
"That's a plan too...  I vote for Number Two.  Good idea Ethan... Who should we invite?"  
  
    
  
"Instant memo to everyone in like, 6th year.  Invite your girlfriend..."  
  
    
  
"Alright..."  
  
    
  
Bryce and Ethan wrote on a single piece of parchment, and then sent it through a device that looked like a toaster.  Soon everyone in their year would be getting a letter that said exactly the same thing, which had gotten to the point as quickly as possible:  PARTY AT BRYCE BLACKS.  
  
    
  
Satisfied, both boys grinned, and waited for people to show up.  The first was Reina and her group of giggling friends.  Next was a bunch of Gryffindor girls and boys.  Ethan smiled, and waved at a particular girl, and Bryce nudged him and laughed.  
  
    
  
"Jocelyn Pierce... She's really nice, and really pretty."  Ethan explained.  "She was... Well, that's who I took to that Valentine's Ball..."  
  
    
  
"You're kidding?!"  Bryce responded.  "I thought you took..."  
  
    
  
"Jocelyn... I told you, remember?"  
  
    
  
"Oh yes... That Jocelyn?  I thought you meant..."  
  
    
  
"Very funny...  Well, go take your girlfriend someplace or something... I'll find some music... And talk to Joce in the meantime..."  
  
    
  
"But first we need drinks.  And food... And...."  
  
    
  
"Got cha!"  
  
    
  
Soon there was music, food, drinks, and people.  It was fun while it lasted.  Bryce and Reina had snuck off someplace, as no one knew about them besides Ethan, and Reina's best friends.  Ethan was back with Jocelyn, but still there was no sign of Brynn and Mac...  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Several hours later, Brynn yawned.  She forgot where she was.  Then she opened her eyes, and shut them after instantly.  It was her room.  It was still light out from what she could tell, and she could hear music dimly, from several floors below her.  She pulled the covers over her tank top and suddenly...  
  
    
  
"Oh my God!" she shrieked.  She kept her eyes shut.  She rolled over, still keeping them shut.  "Do I want to open my eyes?  Should I open my eyes, or not?  I'm going to.... 1...1 and 1 half... 2... 3!"  
  
    
  
She opened them and sighed.  Nothing was there. She smiled, and then rolled over.  Then she screamed, and rolled off the bed, pulling the blanket with her.  She looked up once more, and screamed again. She took a few deep breaths and slapped herself on the forehead.  
  
    
  
"You've been naughty..." That stupid voice in her head sneered.  "Now look, surprised yourself now did you?"  
  
    
  
"Shut up!  You know what happened?"  
  
    
  
"Oh yes, shame you don't remember it... Though I got bored after..."  
  
    
  
"Shut up...  I don't want to hear about it!"  
  
    
  
There was a muffled groan from the bed.  Brynn blushed furiously.  She covered her face with her hands, and sat up.  She still couldn't seem to bear to look up.  She groaned and shook her head.  
  
    
  
"Brynn?"  
  
    
  
"Mmrrggll.... Mm-hmm?"  
  
    
  
"Oh, you're still here.  I was beginning to wonder..."  
  
    
  
Brynn rubbed her head, which was aching, and stood up.  She swayed once, and shook her head.  "Mac, were we drinking again?"  
  
    
  
"Yeah..." Mac groaned, he too rubbing his head.  "That party downstairs... and I suppose that explains this erm... situation..."  
  
    
  
"Situation is right.  This is one Hell of a messed up situation as well..." Brynn said, wrapping herself in the blanket and flopping back down.  
  
    
  
"Oh yes children... Always is a funny thing... young people..." the voice echoed.  
  
    
  
"You're not helping my headache, so shut up!"  Brynn shot back to her mind.  
  
   
  
"I see, not in a pleasant mood, not that I blame you... Goodbye!"  
  
    
  
"Bye."  
  
    
  
"So how did this happen?"  Mac asked, taking some of the blanket.  
  
    
  
"I don't know..."  Brynn said, rolling over again.  Really, she did remember exactly how it happened...  "I think we should go back downstairs... See if Ethan and Bryce are still there..."  
  
    
  
"Good plan, I'll get..."  
  
    
  
"Your pants on?"  Brynn suggested.  
  
    
  
"Um... Yeah."  
  
    
  
A few minutes later, they rushed back down a few flights of stairs, and a bunch of rather tipsy 6th years smiled at them.  "Nice to have you baaaaaaaaack."  Bryce said, grinning and holding up some sort of drink.  "Wanna anuther drink HIC!?"  
  
    
  
"No thanks, I've had enough already..." Brynn said.  She looked out the window.  Her parents would get home soon... "Mum and dad'll be home soon.  Everyone had better go..."  
  
     
  
"Aww...." was the sound hissed by the crowd, and soon they were all taking the fireplace home...  
  
    
  
"Now we all need to clean up..."  
  
    
  
It didn't take long to clean up...  Until Ethan knocked over the glass vases... Which Brynn quickly fixed with a spell.  Then Bryce spilled some red drink on the white carpet, and after about 10 minutes of thinking of a spell, Mac fixed.  Finally, all four of them flopped down on the sofas, just as Sirius and Elizabeth, and all the kids arrived.  
  
     
  
"What have you four been up to today?"  Lizzie asked cheerfully.  
  
    
  
"Had a few friends over... You know, small party."  Bryce answered.  
  
     
  
"Yeah, we cleaned up for you, so you don't have to."  Brynn added.  
  
     
  
"Were you that bored?"  Sirius laughed.  
  
     
  
"Yeah..." they all lied.  
  
     
  
"Wow, it's kind of late."  Lizzie said.  "I know it's summer, and you probably don't want to... But just go to bed already, you look tired."  
  
     
  
"Okay!" they all said, and scrambled up the stairs.  
  
     
  
"Did that seem a little odd, or is it just me?"  Sirius said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
     
  
"I think it was all of us... BRIDGETT!  Put that down!"  
  
     
  
"Oh, um, hey, where can I sleep?"  Mac said, coming back down the stairs.  
  
     
  
"Third Guest bedroom, second floor, two doors down!"  Sirius said, taking off after Bridgett, who was about to let something out of a potion bottle...  
  
     
  
"Daaaaaaddy!"  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." the voice awoke Brynn.  
  
     
  
"I don't want to wake up so early!"  Brynn growled at it.  "Leave me ALONE!"  
  
     
  
"Sorry darling."  
  
      
  
"Don't call me darling either."  
  
     
  
"Sorry darling....  I'm not going to leave you alone.  You're my human person now... I have to pester and annoy you."  
  
     
  
"Ugh..."  
  
     
  
"Well, I suggest you go downstairs and eat breakfast, and be cheerful about it..."  
  
     
  
"Oh yes, Yay!  Cornflakes again for breakfast dad?  Wow!  I love those cornflakes... Do you think that would bee cheerful enough or do I have to put on a cow suit and parade down to eat my cold cereal?"  
  
     
  
"Um... Just go be happy."  
  
     
  
"Sure.  Is something happening?"  
  
     
  
"Maybe."  
  
     
  
"I hate you."  
  
     
  
"Thanks, love you too, dear."  
  
     
  
"Can't remember being a teenager?  Has it been that long, or are you just cold hearted?"  Brynn said, in her head, while pulling on everyday clothes.  
  
     
  
"Both.  I'm a mean 1,000-year-old witch trapped in a modern-day teenager's head.  Am I supposed to be nice?"  
  
     
  
"It'd be a plus..." Brynn said, slowly making her way down the stairs.  
  
     
  
No one was even in the kitchen... She shrugged, mumbling about the voice, and making rude comments to the voice.  After she was done eating her favorite Muggle cereal (she found these better than the wizarding ones) she went to the living room to sit around and do nothing.  But even doing nothing was impossible at the Black home...  
  
     
  
This time it was a knock on the door.  "DAD! GET THE DOOR!"  Brynn shouted, as she didn't feel much like getting up.  The door was in the other room anyways.  Well, not really.  it was on the other side of the room she was in.  Sirius apparated, stuck his tongue out at her, and answered the door.  
  
     
  
At the door stood a woman.  She was dressed in a clean, tight, black ensemble of robes.  Her hair was dark brown, and so were her eyes.  She was a small woman, and two children stood on either side of her, a boy and a girl.  She smiled at Sirius, who stood there, dumbstruck in awe.  
  
     
  
"Athena?"  he managed to choke out.  This caught Brynn's attention, and she got up.  
  
     
  
"Yes Sirius.  You forgot about me, didn't you?"  
  
     
  
"N-no, but I thought you were dead...  I thought you were listed as dead..."  
  
     
  
"That's what everyone thought."  
  
     
  
"Who are you?"  Brynn said, barging in.  
  
    "Athena...   Goddess of Wisdom...." the woman grinned.  
  
     
  
"My little sister."  Sirius added.  
  
     
  
"I thought you were an only child."  Brynn said, raising her eyebrows.  
  
     
  
"I thought I was too... Athena was listed as dead when my parents died 30 years ago...  I checked it out in the papers as soon as I escaped Azkaban.  
  
     
  
"Yes... These are my children, Dominic and Marie.  Who are you?"  
  
     
  
"Brynn Black."  
  
     
  
"I see." the woman suddenly smiled very pleasantly.  "How's Lizzie?"  
  
    
  
"Great.  We're all pretty good these days."  
  
     
  
"And how are you Brynn?"  
  
     
  
"Pretty good."  
  
     
  
"Well, I'm here to see you anyways."  
  
     
  
"Dominic and Marie can play with Bridgett and Brian...  Would you like that kids?"  
  
     
  
"Yes Uncle Sirius." the children answered with perfect etiquette.  
  
     
  
"Then follow me!"  
  
     
  
"Now, Brynn, about why I'm here to see you..." said Athena, as Sirius took off with Dominic and Marie.  
  
     
  
"Yes, have a seat.  Is it something important?"  
  
     
  
"Yes.  I just thought I'd let you know a few things.  You know of the Black Curse?"  
  
     
  
"Erm... no.  Do explain."  
  
     
  
"Well... The Black family is very old.  Ever since the first generation, they've been known for several things.  Beauty, wisdom, wit, courage, strength, power... and they're also known for a few other things too, such as being... how to put this dear... easy, sarcastic, vain, greedy, and weird."  
  
     
  
"Well, not a lot of those things apply to me..."  
  
     
  
"I'd say they do... I think you were a bit easy..." the voice hissed to Brynn.  
  
     
  
"Was not!  Shut up again!  This isn't your talk!  Can't you see?"  
  
     
  
"Sure... But I have an opinion, and I'm sure Mac would agree..."  
  
     
  
"Bitch."  
  
     
  
"Thank you..."  
  
     
  
"Well," Athena continued on. "People were jealous.  The members of the Black family had everything, and everyone wanted to marry a Black, and share in the power and they were all considered nice looking."  
  
     
  
"So, someone was a little jealous, what about it?"  
  
     
  
"The wrong person was jealous.  An young witch was jealous to the extremes of a young lady that married the man she loved."  
  
     
  
"How typical.  The jealous revenge..."  
  
     
  
"Exactly.  So she set a curse on the family.  Not only that, but the whole village helped.  They were sick of the power, and the number of family members was... narrowed down. That's why there aren't a terrible lot today still.  But your house seems quite crowded."  
  
     
  
"Oh yes, there are loads now.  Well, actually, just my family.  But there's a lot of us."  
  
     
  
"I see, are you the oldest?"  
  
     
  
"Yes, and no.  Cate is older than me.  But she's like 17 years older than I am.  She's got children the same age as my parents.  Long story."  
  
     
  
"Oh, Cate's Sirius's daughter?  I missed that bit... I've been out of the country too long.  She's a few years younger than I am then..."  
  
     
  
"Well then.... Go, go."  
  
     
  
"Oh, yes. " Athena shook her head.  "I've studied this for a long time, and there are several types of curses.  Each member of the family is cursed, you, me, your dad, your sister, everyone, and everyone romantically involved.  "  
  
     
  
"Yeah... So that's why we always lose in community Wizard Poker matches?"  
  
     
  
"Partially, that and the fact that your father never was any good at card games...  I could beat him when I was three, when I last saw him, and I suppose nothing's changed..."  
  
     
  
Brynn laughed.  She wasn't very good at Poker either, and there was the time the McAllister boys tried to get her to play Strip Poker with them and their friends....  
  
     
  
"Anyways, you have the same curse as I do: The Voice.  This is the worst one, in my opinion.  Its always there bugging you..."  
  
     
  
"W-wait.  How did you know?"  
  
     
  
"Your voice visits mine.  Hallucia is your voice, correct?  Her husband, Benjamin, in mine... So I was stuck with both of them last night...."  
  
     
  
"Does my voice talk about you?"  
  
     
  
"Of course I talk about you.  What else is there to talk about?" the voice said.  
  
     
  
"Yeah... Sadly.  Has mine ever visited you?"  
  
     
  
"Not yet..." Brynn said, not looking forward to the day it did...  
  
"But everyone's curse is slightly different.  Sirius has the Luck one.  Nothing ever happens his way.  Azkaban, his friends and love dead... He was lucky they had the chance to come back.   Luck Lizzie is a Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Heir.  But Cate got a rather bad spell, from what I've heard."  
  
     
  
"She got it real bad.  She was evil, that's how she met her husband."  
  
     
  
"Nice way to meet men..."  
  
     
  
"Actually, he was an undercover agent, he's real nice."  
  
     
  
"Oh, okay then." Athena said, smiling.  "You have powers too.  Those are the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw genes.  All from your mum's side of the family, mixing with the Black ones....  Make this quill move."  
  
     
  
Brynn reached forward and moved the quill with her hand.  Athena rolled her eyes, and glared at her.  Brynn sighed, and tried to make it move.  No success.  
  
     
  
"I know you can do this... If I can do this one, you certainly can... Concentrate."  
  
     
  
Brynn stared at the quill. "Move… C'mon, you can do it... Move...." and it started to quiver, and moved a few inches.  
  
     
  
"See, I told you so."  
  
     
  
They spent the rest of the time making various objects whiz around the room with telepathy.  They stopped when a paperweight hit Mac, who was coming down the stairs at that particular time.  He fell down, knocked out cold.  
  
    
  
 "Oops..." Brynn said, wincing.  "Erm... This is Mac.  He's he only one in this house at the moment that isn't a Black, or related to one.  No, he doesn't live here either...."  
  
     
  
"Brynn..." Mac mumbled, waking up slightly.  
  
     
  
"Sorry... I have another power... Just testing, didn't mean to hurt you!"  
  
     
  
"That's okay.  I'm fine.  Don' worry Bout' me..." he said, swaying.  
  
     
  
"It's been a long 24 hours. " Brynn mumbled.  
  
     
  
"I can tell... Well, I think I'll go talk to your father, and make sure Dominic hasn't destroyed anything."  
  
     
  
"Destruction must be another Black trait.  We all like to destroy stuff..."  
  
     
  
"Certainly is..." Athena sighed.  
  
     
  
"Nice meeting you!  Good luck finding Dominic and Marie!"  
  
     
  
"Thank you, I suppose!  Good luck discovering your other power, and by the way, I'm sticking around!"  
  
     
  
"That's good. Oooh, Mac, its okay honey... Don't move, you've got a big old bruise..." 


	2. More Visitors, and Another, yes Another,...

Chapter 2  
  
More Visitors and Another, yes another, Family Reunion  
  
   
  
Brynn looked up as there was another knock to the door.  She left Mac and opened it to see Meagan and Crystal standing in the door.  "Hello, Brynn.  Long time no see!" She said, grinning.  Crystal peered around Brynn, obviously looking for Brian.   
  
   
  
Sirius ran into the room, chasing Bridgett, when he saw Meagan.  He grabbed Bridgett around the waist.  "Blue Eyes!" He said, smiling mischievously.  "Padfoot!  What are you waiting for?  Invite us in!" Meagan exclaimed.  "Oh, yes, of coarse."  Sirius said, moving aside.  
  
   
  
"I'm going to go look for Brian," Crystal said, running down the hall screaming, "DARK RIDER!"  
  
   
  
Meagan shook her head.  "And so forth from the darkness springs a new generation of trouble makers." She confirmed, nodding at Crystal.  Sirius rolled his eyes.  "Whelp, here we go again." He said.  
  
   
  
There were two popping noises and Harry and Neil appeared.  "Sorry," He said, "The twins attacked me before I left."  Meagan snorted and looked at him sternly.  "Did you leave them with Prongs again?"  She asked.  "Who?  Dad?  Oh, yeah.  I wish him luck."  Harry replied, shaking his head sadly.  
  
   
  
"They're almost of age." Sighed Meagan sadly.  "I just can't wait until their powers kick in." She added sarcastically.  Athena walked into the room, and squealed.  "MEAGAN!" She shrieked, running up to Meagan and hugging her.  Meagan's eyes went bright yellow and something exploded.  "A- Athena?" She gasped.  "I think I could faint."  
  
   
  
"Don't." Suggested Harry.  "Oooh!  Do it!  I've never seen you faint, except when you collapse from powers override!" Sirius said, jumping up and down.  At this Meagan stood upright.  "Do you feel like getting hurt today, Padfoot?"  Meagan snarled.  Sirius shook his head.  "Good." She said.  
  
   
  
Mac ambled into the room, saw Meagan, and gasped.  "What's she doing here?" He asked loudly and rudely.  He clapped his hands to his mouth.  "Oops." He mumbled.  
  
   
  
Meagan turned to him, her eyes flashing red momentarily.  "Well, if it isn't Irvin."  Meagan commented.  Mac went red and mumbled.  "For information, Mr. Black and I are friends, and Crystal came over to see Brian.  Any more questions, Irvin?" She asked.  He shook his head.  
  
   
  
Neil put on a little grin.  He looked like an exact replica of his father, except for the fact the he too would possess powers this August, when he turned 11.  He was a very secretive boy, not unlike Harry was when he was 10.  He rarely ever spoke and knew no one his own age.  
  
   
  
"Neil, why don't you go see what Crys and Brian are up to?" Meagan asked, and he ran down the hall, making only little pitter-patter sounds that were barely audible as he went.  
  
   
  
He grinned to himself.  No one knew that his powers were already kicking in.  He could mind-wave, disappear when he wanted to, and could change into air and hover in midair while no one noticed he was there.  He could also use telepathy, which all the Potter children could do when they were young.  He still didn't know his special power, but he knew he find out when he was 11…  
  
   
  
He looked at all the doors there were to open and didn't know where to begin.  He walked over to the first door and opened it.  A growling sound emerged from it and a flower-like head emerged from it.  It snapped at him.  
  
   
  
Neil screamed and slammed the door shut on its head.  The flower-like-thing whimpered and shrunk back into the room.  He sighed and wiped his forehead before continuing down the hall.  
  
   
  
He whished he could see through things like Crystal so that he knew where they where.  He reached out a shaking hand and opened the next door.  He stared.  The room was full of costumes.  There was one of Barney…  He shuddered…  Barney…  
  
   
  
There were other costumes as well.  There were the four Quidditch balls, a prince and princess, a zombie, and a lot more.  He walked into the room to see if Crystal and Brian were in there.  He found that they weren't, but he decided to put on one of these costumes…  
  
   
  
He looked through the costumes, seeing if he could find one he liked.  His eyes were purple with amusement as he looked down at one.  It was a replica of the notorious Severus Snape…  only looking worse.  He grinned as he slipped on the robe.  It was a little large for him, but that was okay…  he could live.  His eyes a bright purple, his slipped on the exaggerated nose.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Gaaa!" Hollered Crystal.  She had turned to a radio station with oldies on it.  "Dirty Pop!  Sick and tired of hearin' all these people talk about!  What's the deal with this pop life and when is it gonna fade out?  The ding you got to realize what we doin' is not a trick!  We got the gift of melody!  We're gonna bring it till the end!"  It sang.  She wrinkled her nose as it continued to sing.  
  
   
  
"Do you ever wonder why?  This music gets you high! It takes you on a ride!  Feel! It! When! Your! Body starts to rock!  Baby you can stop!  And the music's all you got!  This must be…  POP!"  The singers bellowed.  
  
   
  
With a disgusted sound, she changed the station to a more modern one.  Brian grinned.  "My fav!" He said, listening to the song.  "Mm!" Crystal replied.  She let the music flow through her veins.  Music always got her hyped.  
  
   
  
She felt her feet lift from the ground.  Brian gave a snort.  Crystal looked down and saw that she was hovering inches over the ground.  She kicked her legs and flew upwards, causing herself to hit the high ceiling on Brian's room.  "Argh!" She shrieked.  She fell, landing on Brian's bed…  and almost landing on Brian.  
  
   
  
Brian rolled over so that he fell out of bed.  The bed's legs snapped with a crack.  It landed on Brian's hand, breaking it.  He gasped and his eyes swelled with tears.  
  
   
  
Crystal quickly hopped off the bed and levitated it.  She was about to move it when Ethan and Bryce came into the room.  
  
   
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Bryce screamed.  "Uh…  I fell." Crystal said, moving the bed.  "I think I broke his hand…" She said, but saw the look on Bryce's face, she added, "I can fix it."  
  
   
  
"I think you've done enough." Ethan said.  "No, I can fix it," Crystal said, walking over to Brian and picking up his hand.  He groaned.  Crystal closed her eyes and felt the bone in Brian's hand.  She concentrated on it, forcing it to heal.  
  
   
  
Brian screamed and writhed in pain.  Bryce looked horrified.  "Stop it!  STOP IT!"  He bellowed at Crystal.  Crystal didn't reply but kept on healing it.  Bryce and Ethan both grabbed her, only to see she was out like a light.  Her skin was deathly white and her breathing was shallow.  
  
   
  
Brian, meanwhile, was examining his hand.  He looked it over and nodded approvingly.  Then, seeing Crystal, he gasped.  
  
   
  
"Can you conjure a stretcher?" Brian asked quietly.  "No," Ethan said, "We have to carry her."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Meagan was leaning against the wall, talking to Lizzie, Athena, Harry, and Sirius, who was holding Bridgett and was making fruitless attempts to stop her from pulling his hair.  "Tong head?"  Harry asked, "You called my dad tong head and he agreed?"  
  
Meagan laughed.  "No, no, he got the idea of Prongs from it." She said, flashing her pearly whites at him.  They all laughed, but stopped as they heard a heavy stomping noise.  
  
   
  
"Sirius, do you still have that giant flesh-eating spider?" Meagan asked Sirius.  "Er…" Sirius said, taking one look at his wife, "Yeah.  But it's upstairs, magically bound to the floor.  It couldn't have escaped."  Lizzie was looking daggers at him.  He shuddered.  
  
   
  
Ethan, Bryce, and Brian appeared.  Ethan was carrying Crystal.  Meagan took one look at Crystal and felt a chill run through her body.  Crystal had used her powers to their full extent.   
  
   
  
"What'd she do?" Meagan asked.HeHe  "She healed Brian's hand, and then she fainted." Bryce said.  Meagan groaned.  "Mk, Michael, and I were never great shakes at healing…" She said, taking Crystal in her arms and lying her on a nearby couch.  Ethan was amazed at how strong she was.  
  
   
  
Crystal groaned.  "Wh-what happened?" She asked weakly.  "Shhh…" Meagan whispered.  Brian's eyes glinted gold, just as Cate's would do.  "Is she gonna be okay?" He asked. Meagan nodded.  "I've done this to myself millions of times.  Once I was out for a week after healing Harry's leg." She nodded towards Harry, whose ears when red.  
  
   
  
Moving her hands deftly, Meagan wrapped Crystal in a warm blanket and preformed some type of magic.  Crystal gave a startled yelp and evidently tried to leap off the couch.  Meagan, however, held her down.  She, herself, looked a little pale, but seemed okay.  
  
   
  
"Well, my theory worked…  Mk owes me some cash…" Meagan said, leaning back on her haunches.  She grinned as she stood up.  "I suggest you don't try using any of those powers of yours until you look a little better…  It'll hurt if you do." She said, walking back over to Sirius, Lizzie, Harry, and Athena.  They all stared at her, dumbstruck.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
The first thing he thought was "Where am I?"  He didn't feel right…  He felt a little…  Short.  And there was something on his nose that wasn't usually there.   
  
   
  
He reached for it and took it off, making his vision instantly sliding out of view.  He squinted at the object.  They were glasses!  What was he, Severus Snape, doing wearing glasses!  
  
   
  
Noting that he couldn't see without them he put them back on.  He scanned the room he was in.  It was full of costumes…  Strange costumes.  
  
   
  
He strode out of the room and saw a long hall in front of him.  It looked vaguely familiar.  He strained his brain and searched his memory.  Then it came to him, he was at Black Manor!  He was in the home of one of his worst enemies!  
  
   
  
He stalked out of the room, looking for an exit.  Everything was taller than it usually was, making it look stranger and eerier then it usually was.  He quickened his pace, trying to concentrate on getting out of there.  
  
   
  
He passed a room with a girl and boy in it…  Brian Black and Crystal Potter!  
  
   
  
They looked at him in surprise.  "Neil!" Crystal said, grinning.  "Come join us!"  Her eyes changed from blue to purple, making Snape shudder.  
  
   
  
"Who is this Neil you speak of?" Snape asked.  Crystal looked at him, puzzled, then laughed.  "Yeah, really funny Neil.  I get it now…  You're kidding around because of the costume."  She said.  She grinned at him.  
  
   
  
"I am not wearing a costume." Snape said snidely.  Crystal and Brian looked at each other.  "Neil Nathan Potter, cut it out!  You're freaking us out!" Crystal said.  
  
   
  
"I don't know of any Neil Nathan Potter!" Snape spat.  Crystal went up to him, her eyes cherry red.  She grabbed him by the front of the robes and lifted him clear off the ground.  Snape gave a frightened squeak and kicked his legs.   Crystal took one hand and started to unbutton the robes, now only hanging onto them with one hand.  
  
   
  
When the robe was fully unbuttoned, she ripped it off and set him down on his feet.  Snape stared at her.  She seemed much taller than he was.  He shuddered.  
  
   
  
"Neil?" She asked.  "I'M NOT NEIL!" Snape hollered.  
  
   
  
Crystal took the fake nose in her hand and pulled.  Neil snapped back to his regular self.  "Crys?  Where am I?  What happened?  Crys-!"  He said, but howled as the nose snapped back to his face.  "What was that for, Ms. Potter?" Snape asked.  
  
   
  
Crystal looked over at Brian, who shrugged.  She took the nose again and pulled.  "Crys?  Why does my nose hurt?  I was just in a place full of costumes a min-!" Neil said, and howled again as the nose came snapping back.  
  
   
  
By now Crystal was having a good time.  She kept on doing that until Brian got bored and pulled the nose off entirely.  Neil shook his head, confused, his nose hurting.  
  
   
  
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" He asked.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"You were acting like Snape!" Crystal laughed.  Neil groaned.  "Cut it out, Crys!" He said, sitting on the couch and looking away from Crystal, who was still making fun of him from the costume affair at the Black Manor.  He was muttering under his breath and kept looking darkly at her, his eyes bright red.  
  
   
  
There was a knock on the door and Neil went to get it, looking over his shoulder and sticking out his tongue at Crystal.  He opened it and saw a man in a navy blue uniform.  Neil looked him up and down and asked, "May I help you?"  
  
   
  
The man nodded.  "Is there a Mr. and Mrs. Potter here?" He asked.  Neil nodded, leaned back, and yelled, "Mom!  Dad!"  He shook his head as he saw Meagan chasing after the twins, who evidently found her wand.  "JO!  JESS!  YOU DON'T PLAY WITH MOMMY'S WAND!" She yelled at them, but of coarse, the twins paid no heed.  
  
   
  
Harry ran to the door to see what Neil wanted.  "Sorry…  Things get a little crazy here." He said, taking the letter.  "JESSICA JOANNE POTTER!  JOANNE JOSEPHINA POTTER!  GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANCE!" Meagan was shouting.  Harry shook his head.  
  
   
  
There was the sound of something crashing in the back round.  "Thanks." He said, closing the door.  He turned to see Meagan struggling with the twins.  "Harry!" She grunted, "Help me get my wand!  The little buggers got mine!" Harry took out his own wand and said, "Accio Wand!" causing the wand to fly into his hands.  
  
   
  
Both twins looked disappointed.  Their hair was disheveled, and one of Jo's lenses broke.  She wrinkled her nose as she picked up her glasses.  Meagan idly pointed a finger at it and they were fixed.   
  
   
  
"Honey, we have a letter…  It's from Mark…" Harry said.  Meagan took the letter and opened it.  She groaned.  "Another family reunion.  Oh joy.  I thought he gave up 11 years ago."  She said.  Harry and Meagan looked at each other, and then at the children.  There was no telling what would happen next.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Meagan rolled her eyes at the twins, who were poking each other.  "Don't do that!  You'll fall off!" She shouted at the, looking at the ocean that was below them.  "And unless you want to go for a swim, I wouldn't do that."  
  
   
  
Neil and Nita, the youngest Potter child, were flying side by side, talking merrily about how cool Hogwarts would be.  Unlike most siblings, Neil and Nita got along well.  They were more like friends than brother and sister.  "I can't wait to go, but it'll be another…  two years until I can go." Nita said.  "But when I come…  Hogwarts better move over!  I'll have my powers and I'll have adventures and I'll have fun and I'll…" She said, going on and on about what she would do at Hogwarts."  
  
   
  
Crystal, however, was doing spectacular dives.  "That's my girl!" Harry shouted.  
  
   
  
The four children gasped as land came into view.  "Whoa!" Nita said.  "This is America?" Neil asked.  Meagan nodded, and sang, "My country 'tis of thee!  Sweet land of liberty!  Of thee I sing!"  
  
   
  
"Down there, right Meagan?" Harry asked, pointing at a house.  Meagan nodded and they all dived.  
  
   
  
Most people gasped and looked up as they landed.  Four children, who Meagan recognized to be Mary, Derek, Greg, and Harvey, gasped and looked shocked.  
  
   
  
Mark came out of the house to see what was the matter, saw Meagan, and groaned.  "Making the entrance again…" He muttered.  
  
   
  
"Who are you?" Mary asked.  She was a tall girl of 14 who had long blonde hair and had cool, steely blue eyes.  She was too shocked to say anything else.  "You don't remember us?" Meagan laughed.  "It's Aunt Meagan and Uncle Harry!"  Mary had a faraway look on her face as she remembered.  "I-I thought you were a dream." She said quietly.  
  
   
  
Meagan and Harry looked at each other, and then burst into fits of hysterical laughter.  "No, we're not a dream." Meagan choked.  "Neither is Harry or your cousins."  
  
   
  
Mark had come over by then and was looking at the other Potter children. "More of you?" He asked, "More of you?"  Meagan nodded.  "You already know Crystal.  This here is Neil, those are the twins…  um…  That one's Jo…  no, that one is…  and the other one's Jess.  And the youngest is Nita.  Her full name is Juanita, but we gave her a nickname." She said, pointing out all of her children.  
  
   
  
Crystal, in the meantime, was asking Mary and the triplets if they wanted a ride on her broom.  "No!" Said all thirteen-year-old triplets.  Mary held her breath and said, "I will."  Crystal grinned.  "Okay, sit on it like me…  okay, good, now put your arms around my waist and hold on tight.  Good…  If you fall, don't worry, I'll catch you." She said.  "Oh, that's a great reassurance," Mary said sarcastically.  
  
   
  
"I'm one of the best flyers there is!  My mom and dad play professional Quidditch!  It's in my genes!"  Crystal said, kicking off.  Mary gave a little, shuddering gasp.  Crystal zoomed upwards and came to a stop fifty- three feet in the air.  Mary squeezed Crystal's waist tightly, so as she would fall off.  Her eyes were squeezed shut.  
  
   
  
"C'mon Mary, open your eyes!  It's beautiful up here!" Crystal said.  Mary opened one eye, then both and stared in wonder.  "Wow…" She breathed.  "Isn't it cool?" Crystal asked, looking around.  Mary nodded.  "Do you see this, like, everyday."  
  
   
  
"Usually…  I practice my Wronski Feint every day unless it's raining."  
  
   
  
"What's a Wronski Feint?"  
  
   
  
"Want me to show you?"  
  
   
  
"Uh…  Sure."  
  
   
  
Crystal's eyes turned purple.  "Oh my god!  Do your eyes always do that?" Mary shrieked.  Crystal nodded and said, "My eyes reflect my mood…  right now…  I'm having fun and feeling mischievous." She said.  Mary went white.  "Uh oh." She squeaked.  
  
   
  
Crystal went into a dive.  Mary screamed.  Crystal was concentrating as hard as she could to keep the broom under control.  "CRYSTAL CLAIRE POTTER!" Meagan screamed, seeing Crystal.  "HOW MANY TIMES???  HOW MANY TIMES???  DON'T DO WRONSKI FEINTS NEAR PEOPLE!"  
  
   
  
Meagan brandished a sparking hand at them.  Crystal and the broom froze just above people's heads.  Mary gave a shriek and tumbled off the side of the broom.  "Mrgfrgll!" Mary said, her mouth full of grass.  
  
   
  
Crystal's eyes were wide and looking around.  Meagan released the spell and Crystal fell flat on her face.  Meagan gave an exasperated sigh.  And this was only one kid with powers…  Eventually there would be four.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Meagan started to bang her head on the wall.  It was late at night and the day had exhausted her.  "My-life-is-miserable." She said between hits.  "I- can-barely-stand-it."  
  
   
  
She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped.  She turned around and saw Harry.  "Oh, Harry, you scared me."  She said, placing her hand over her heart.  "I've never done that before…  I thought it was impossible, actually." He grinned.  He grabbed her hand and twirled her around.  She giggled softly.  
  
   
  
"Remember the times before the kids?" Harry asked.  Meagan laughed.  "Mostly you chasing me around." She said.  "And Quidditch matches.  By the way, we're facing the Fitchburg Finches tomorrow…  We'll lead the Chudley Cannons to another victory!"  She said, and then exclaimed the Cannon's revised motto, "We shall conquer!"  
  
   
  
"Shhh!  You'll wake the kids!" Harry said.  Meagan's eyes flashed purple.  She nodded, grinning silently.  "Those were the good times…" She sighed.  "Not that I don't like chaos, but too much can depress you…" She added.  
  
   
  
Harry took her in his arms and started to kiss her neck.  He leaned forward, holding Meagan.  He kissed her on the lips.  Meagan threw her arms around his neck and kissed back.  
  
   
  
"Ewww!  Gross!"  Said a voice.  Harry accidentally dropped Meagan who gave a little squeal.  Jessica was in the doorway, looking thoroughly disgusted.  Meagan sighed and hoisted herself off the ground.  "What is it, Jess?" She asked.  "I came down for a drink." Jessica said, her nose wrinkled.  Meagan clicked her fingers and a glass of water appeared.  "Night mum." Jessica said, turned, and left.  
  
   
  
"And to think…  this is just the beginning." Harry said.  Meagan stared at him. 


	3. Muggle Studiers Er Studies

Chapter 3 Muggle Studiers... Er- Studies  
  
   
  
Brian sighed.  It had been a good day.  Crystal had been over, and it had been fun, despite the fact that his hand had been broken for a small amount of time.  
  
       
  
"I wonder where everyone else is," he said aloud.  "Then again, maybe not..."  
  
       
  
Mac had gone home, after Brynn had done something about the bruise on her head.  Though both Brynn and Mac were in various degrees of distress, Brynn had gotten the better end of this deal... But at the moment, Brynn was visiting Athena again...  
  
       
  
"So, anything else you'd like to talk about?" Athena said, looking around the room.  
  
       
  
"Oh, not really.  Did you move here now?"  
  
       
  
"Yeah, I'm a few houses down....  My husband is getting everything all set up.  He should be getting here soon.  Was that poor boy hit with the paperweight your boyfriend?  He's adorable."  
  
       
  
"Yeah, that's Mac.  Known him ever since preschool, when we got Jeff Matters to lick the blackboard.  Those were the days..."  
  
       
  
"What, forcing other children to lick chalkboards?  You really are a Black..."  
  
       
  
"Dad taught me that trick...  He got Meagan to do that too, but she was a first year.  Well, that's his side of the story.  She's probably got a different viewpoint."  
  
       
  
"I see.  I looked up to the Marauders when I was little.  I was still practically a baby when Sirius graduated.  I wanted to be just like him...  I graduated a few years before your older sister did."  
  
        
  
"Hmm... Cate.  Whatever you do, don't make her angry.  And don't mention Meagan, Harry, or anyone who is a good person in front of her.  She has an intense hatred for most of Meagan's friends."  
  
      
  
"Okay, I'll be sure not to do that..."  
  
       
  
The doorbell rang at that point.  Brynn, who was less lazy by now, answered it.   This left her facing a very angry looking Cate. Behind Cate was Bellum, grinning.  Beside Bellum was a man she had never seen before.  His hair was brownish blondish, and he was smiling sheepishly.  Cate grabbed him firmly by the arm and pushed him forward.  
  
       
  
"I suppose this is yours."  She said to Athena, glaring.  
  
       
  
"Yes, this is my husband Ryan.  Ryan, what were you doing?" Athena answered, raising her eyebrows.  
  
       
  
"I was visiting the neighbors..." he shrugged, his blue eyes sparkling.  
  
      
  
"Visiting the neighbors..." Cate chuckled.  Suddenly, she stopped and glared at Athena, who looked quite taken aback.  Your husband decided to have a drink with my husband."  Cate paused to hit Bellum hard on the arm.  It wasn't a playful hit either, as he shouted, and rubbed his arm.  
  
        
  
"So, what's wrong with that?"  Athena said, keeping her composure, and managing not to talk any louder than Cate was talking, and ranting about some little thing.  She gave her husband, who was putting on his best innocent act, a hug. "They drinking your expensive wine?"  
  
   
  
"Well, Ryan here decided to check out the neighborhood.  MY husband-" she paused here to punch Bellum hard on the arm.  It wasn't a playful punch either, for Bellum cringed, and rubbed the spot where she hit him.  "Decided they should have a drink and..."  
  
   
  
"So they had a drink, what's wrong with it?"  Athena said, looking a little skeptically at her husband.  
  
   
  
"Almost all the drinks are gone.  My children are running about the hose like monkeys.  My husband is completely wasted," (Bellum waved absentmindedly at the mention of 'my husband') "My house is a disaster, and there is a ghoul loose from my attic."  
  
   
  
"That's it?"  Athena said.  "That's nothing..."  
  
   
  
"AND... I cannot find my son. The dog is missing. And that man has been staring at me all night!  I could not return him.. I do not know where he lives, and currently, NEITHER DOES HE!  I had to wait until THEY all left... bunch of freaks that was here... and I am NOT in a good mood.  Felicity got into the dark magic while I was trying to calm down these two..."  
  
   
  
"Erm... Ethan's in the kitchen."  Brynn said.  "I think I'll go get him..."  Brynn took off running to find Ethan.  
  
   
  
"Well, not that son, MY BABY! Where is Jack you disgusting Pig?"  Cate said, lunging at Ryan. She punched him hard in the face, and knocked out a tooth.  Athena's jaw dropped.  She watched Cate attack her husband.  It was quite humorous.  He was twice her size, and she was beating him up quite badly.  But then again, Ryan looked more than half dunk by the looks of things.  
  
   
  
"Hold on a second..." Athena said, prying her off Ryan.  "He lost your baby?"  
  
   
  
"Well, Jack was with HIM," she pointed to Bellum, who was swaying back and forth.  "and when I entered the room, the liquor case was practically empty, and Jack was no where in sight!  Jack is not even a year old!  WHERE'S MY KID YOU FILTHY BASTARD?!"  
  
   
  
"Ask your husband, wench!"  Athena said, prying her once more off Ryan, who looked unconscious.  
  
   
  
"Baby.... Jack... He's asleep..."  
  
   
  
"ASLEEP?"  Cate said, lunging now at Bellum.  "Asleep as in how?"  
  
   
  
"I think I..." Bellum paused to think real hard.  "I gave him to Paige.... She took him upstairs."  
  
   
  
Cate laughed insanely, her hair was a mess.  Athena was beginning to think she had been in the liquor case as well... She stopped to look around.  Brynn had returned with Ethan, as well as Bryce.  They were all staring.  Bellum smiled, satisfied with what he had said.  
  
   
  
"Are you sure?"  Cate asked him once more.  
  
   
  
"Um..."  Bellum scratched his head, still not all together.  "No... Maybe...."  
  
   
  
"ETTHAN!!"  Cate shrieked.  
  
   
  
"What mum?"  Ethan said, shaking his head.  
  
   
  
"Find Jack.  Take your father.  When you get home, knock your father out.  Make sure he won't wake up until I get there.  Find your sisters too, make sure everyone is alive."  
  
    
  
"Okay mum..."  
  
    
  
"I'm not done with you."  Cate pointed at Athena.  "Who are you anyways?"  
  
    
  
"Athena, and that's AUNT Athena to you..."  
  
    
  
"Oh dear Lord... Help me!  AUNT Athena is almost my age..."  
  
    
  
"Aunt Brynn is my age...." Ethan said, laughing at Brynn.  
  
    
  
"Go home!  Take HIM... And find Jack!"  
  
    
  
"Yeah, yeah... Bye Bryce, Bye Brynn!" Ethan called, dragging Bellum out the door.  
  
    
  
"Make sure HE..."  Cate pointed at Ryan.  "Does not come to my manor again.  Mind you, do not give him liquor of any sort.  I believe my children are all in danger!  So is my HUSBAND!  It's not the poor thing's fault... He's NEVER been that drunk in his life!  Not even on out honeymoon, or any other time I recall."  
  
    
  
"Sure thing, Boss."  Athena said, still standing up straight, her eyebrows raised.  "We're staying the night here, if need be you yell at us more..."  
  
    
  
"Goodbye!"  Cate shrieked.  
  
    
  
"Oh, and by the way, we live right next door."  
  
     
  
"ARGGHH!"  
  
    
  
"Thanks, nice meeting you too!"  
  
    
  
Cate stormed out and slammed the door behind her.  Brynn, Bryce, Athena, Sirius, Brooke, Bridgett, Lizzie, Brian, Marie, and Dominic stared.  Sirius had his eyes partially shut, and Lizzie had grasped onto his arm tightly.  Brooke was hiding behind Brian, and Brian was hiding behind Bryce.  Bryce was hiding behind Brynn, and Brynn was positioned beside Athena.  Marie and Dominic were hiding behind Sirius and Lizzie, looking sadly at their father.  
  
    
  
"Is she always this angry?"  Athena asked, carefully.  
  
    
  
"No, she must be in a good mood."  Sirius answered.  Athena stared.  "I think it's either she's been drinking, or either she's gone temporarily insane, or else she's pregnant again.  I'm quite sure she's not pregnant... Showed no signs of that.  I think she must have had some of the liquor...."  
  
    
  
"That's what I was thinking."  Athena sighed.  "Erm... What can I do with Ryan?"  
  
    
  
Lizzie sighed, and stepped forward.  She shot a sharp blast of lightning and he woke up instantly.  "She's crazy!  Mad!  All I did was have a drink with her husband!  He's a nice guy, but she's MAD!"  
  
    
  
"Ry, did you destroy the house?"  
  
    
  
"Well, not exactly..." Ryan shifted uncomfortably.  
  
    
  
"Did you lose their baby?"  
  
    
  
"No that I didn't do..."  
  
    
  
"How many drinks did you give her husband?"  
  
    
  
"Erm...."  
  
    
  
"Ryan, can you even count that high?!"  
  
    
  
"I think so...."  
  
    
  
"Now she hates ME!  And that's the person I could least do without hating me..." she pulled him off up the stairs.  Marie and Dominic stared, now out from behind Sirius and Lizzie.  
  
    
  
"Has daddy gone a-sane?"  Dominic asked.  
  
    
  
"No, but he might have gone INsane...." Marie answered.  "We'll go to our rooms, Uncle Sirius.  Thank-you for the candy!"  
  
    
  
"Mum, dad, she's chaperoning our trip... Cate and Bellum... The Muggle Studies trip...."  Bryce said a little nervously...  
  
    
  
"I'm sure they'll calm down in 2 weeks enough to where they're sane."  Lizzie answered.  "I do hope poor Jack is alright...."  
  
    
  
"Me too... For the sake of the world...." Brynn added.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Cate had gotten across the street soon enough to have the horror of knocking her husband out herself.  She didn't have to put much of an effort in.  All she did was stand him up properly, and push him over.  And just like that he was out cold.  She decided her could stay on the cold marble floor until he woke up.  She hoped he wouldn't even think of coming to bed.  
  
    
  
Cate and Ethan put together a nice effort to find Jack.  They found Felicity first, who was asleep with a bag of dark tools, which Cate snatched and put in her pocket.  Then they came across Paige, who was still trying to get into the sweets.  Her sloppy pigtails bounced up and down.  
  
   "Where's your brother?"  Cate demanded, picking her up.  
  
    
  
"Right there!"  Paige pointed at Ethan.  
  
    
  
"No, Jack!"  
  
    
  
"Jack's in his crib.  Daddy put him there before the man with candy came...."  
  
    
  
"Go to sleep Paige..." Cate said, putting her down.  "Let's check Jack's room..."  
  
    
  
Sure enough, there was Jack, cute as a button, sound asleep.  Cate sighed, picked him up, and hugged him.  She sat down in the rocking chair, and smiled slightly.  
  
    
  
"Thanks, Ethan darling.  You're a good boy."  
  
    
  
"Welcome, mum.  Goodnight...."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
    
  
At around 6:00 in the morning, Bellum woke up, rubbing his aching head.  His head wasn't all that ached either....  He got up, stepped over some trash, picked up Felicity, who was still asleep on the couch, and carried her up a few flights of stairs to her room.  He kissed her forehead, and left.  
  
    
  
After one more flight of stairs, he stood in front of a rather large door.  He rubbed his head once more, sighed, and pushed it open.  Something flew past his head.  He looked up, taking a breath.  Cate was glaring at him.  She shot him one more piercing glare, and asked him a question...  
  
    
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
    
  
"Well, erm... it's my bedroom too!  Don't I get to sleep here..."  
  
    
  
"Usually.  But after you've destroyed the house and almost lost my child, I think there are exceptions..."  
  
    
  
"Well, I remember where he was.  I put him in his crib...  I'm sorry Cate."  
  
   
  
 "I know.  It's not too bad.  Just... Keep away from that man."  
  
    
  
"Sorry...  I can't recall that ever happening...."  
  
    
  
"Me either.  Just be sure it won't happen again."  
  
    
  
"So are we un-mad at each other?"  Bellum asked, putting a sad look on his face.  
  
    
  
"Yes."  Cate said sternly.  Bellum frowned, looking her straight in the eyes with sad puppy-dog ones.  "Oh, cut that out!"  Cate said, smiling slightly.  "Stop being so damn attractive! Oh, I'm not mad at you anymore...   Come here..."  
  
    
  
Bellum grinned, and flopped over on the bed.  He looked up at Cate, and she shook her head and kissed him.  He smiled.  He was quite proud of himself.  He had never been kicked out of the bedroom, and was glad about this one... I had been a close call.  
  
    
  
"Well, at least let me make this up to you."  
  
    
  
"You can clean the house by hand.  Attic to Basement...."  
  
    
  
"I'll still be working by the time Jack graduates...  How about I take you out to dinner?  Tomorrow night sound good?"  
  
    
  
"Mm...  I suppose.... I still think it'd be more fun for you to clean house... Get down on your hands and knees..."  
  
    
  
"No thanks, we have magic to clean you know..."  
  
    
  
"But it's more fun to watch."  
  
    
  
"Freak...."  
  
    
  
"Me, freak? Ha!  That's right, oh drunk 'I lost the baby' man.  Bet your friends will love that story...."  
  
    
  
"Oh, truly.  You are evil...."  
  
    
  
"Why thank you... What should I wear tomorrow?"  
  
    
  
"I dunno."  Bellum shrugged.  "Anything works.  You can make any old thing look good..."  
  
    
  
Cate laughed.  She ran her fingers through her husband's hair. She knew he'd say that.  Jack was staring to fuss.  He'd been asleep the whole night, and was starting to wake.  Cate sighed, and went to pick him up, throwing a dirty look at Bellum once more.  
  
    
  
"Remember before the children?" she sighed, cradling little Jack.  
  
    
  
"Yeah... Some of it was good.  Some wasn't as great.  But I sure do miss the fact that it was just the two of us sometimes...."  
  
    
  
"Me too...  If we leave the kids with Sirius and Lizzie tomorrow, we can have it to ourselves a little before and after we go...."  
  
    
  
"Sounds Great."  
  
    
  
"Remember when you had Ethan?"  
  
    
  
"Did you have to remind me?"  
  
    
  
"Yes, I thought it was funny..."  
  
    
  
"You weren't the one in labor."  
  
    
  
"You broke my hand."  
  
    
  
"So?  I 'll bet my life I was in more pain..."  
  
    
  
"Well, I can still remember that day like it was only yesterday..."  
  
   
  
*********FLASHBACK**********  
  
   
  
    
  
"I.  Am.  A.  Blimp."  Cate said, looking younger, and a lot rounder.  She looked in fact, as if she could barely move.  
  
    
  
"No you aren't!  You still look better than Meagan did... and your poor mother!"  
  
    
  
"Meagan is bigger than I am anyways.  And my mum had twins!  Am I that fat?!"  Cate said, looking directly at a slice of cheesecake.  
  
    
  
"No, I wasn't.  I was just saying you're the best looking still."  
  
    
  
"You're an awful liar."  
  
    
  
"No, I'm just bad at telling the truth.  Either that or my wife is blind..."  
  
    
  
"Both.  You're bad at lying and telling the truth.  And I am not blind. Besides, I'm due any day now..."  
  
    
  
"Well good, then maybe we'll stop complaining. Eat the cheesecake, Cate.  Stop staring at it."  
  
    
  
"Are you sure?  You don't want it?"  
  
    
  
"No, I'll have this here tasty banana."  
  
    
  
"Okay...  You do that, I'll enjoy my cheesecake."  
  
    
  
"Good. I'll enjoy my banana."  
  
   
  
"Do you have everything organized?  Music, clothing, books, suitcase?"  
  
    
  
"Yep.  All set to go.  At the first sign of labor pains-- and you ate ALL that already?"  
  
    
  
"Yeah... Still working on that banana I see..."  
  
    
  
"Yes, it's delicious."  Bellum said, looking at the empty cheesecake plate.  
  
    
  
"You wanted that, didn't you?"  
  
    
  
"No."  Bellum said, gulping the banana in one more large bite.  "I made it... for you."  
  
    
  
"Sure.  You're an awful liar."  
  
    
  
"No, I'm just bad at telling the truth."  
  
    
  
Cate smiled though, and sat down next to him.  She had calmed down loads since her evil-over-lady days.  Then she suddenly went white, and grabbed hold of her husband.  Bellum screamed, and he heard and felt some bones crack in his wrist.  
  
    
  
"PAIN! Get the stuff!  Hospital!"  
  
    
  
"Where did you put it?"  
  
    
  
"You had it!"  
  
    
  
"No... I packed it... You put it away!"  
  
    
  
"Go look for it!  I cannot MOVE!"  
  
    
  
"I-I don't know where it is!" said Bellum, returning a few minutes later.  
  
    
  
"MY WATER JUST BROKE AND YOU CAN'T FIND THE BLOODY SUITCASE?!"  
  
    
  
"Wait!  The closet!"  
  
   
  
 "Why didn't you check there before? AHHHH!!!!"  
  
    
  
"Sorry!  I've got it now though!"  
  
    
  
"Car!!!"  Cate huffed, between rapid breaths.  
  
   
  
"Car!  Got it!"  
  
    
  
Bellum was more nervous than Cate.  The fact that he was going to be a father just seemed to have hit him.   They arrived at the car only to realize Bellum forgot the keys.  Cate shrieked, and lost it.  She lunged at him, and they disappeared.  They appeared in an emergency room.  
  
    
  
"My wife's in labor!"  Bellum announced importantly.  
  
    
  
"Thanks, you were a lot of help! CONTRACTION!"  
  
    
  
Cate was in hysterics.  It was 10 times worst than when she found out she was pregnant.  Eventually, three or so nurses were able to calm her down and drag her off to deliver her baby.  Bellum made sure to instant owl everyone, and get his hand fixed.  It was broken in several spots, and his other wrist was broken before the time Ethan was born...  
  
   
  
*****BACK TO PRESENT TIME*****  
  
   
  
"You were such a spazz.  I should have et you have that cheesecake then.  Maybe it would have helped.  That banana obviously didn't..."  
  
     
  
"Well, the thought of fatherhood finally got me."  
  
     
  
"Oh, and after all we'd been through, this little thing got to you?"  
  
     
  
"Yes...."  
  
     
  
"Well, I think now that Jack's asleep, we should get some sleep too..."  
  
     
  
"You mean actual sleep?"  
  
     
  
"Yup.  Might do us some good..."  
  
     
  
"I'll try that...."  
  
     
  
"Okay, maybe the effects are better than bananas...."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
     
  
"Ahh... the smell of Muggles."  Mac said, taking a deep breath of the air.  "Kinda nasty if you ask me...."  
  
     
  
"No, that's just the smell of Ethan."  Bryce said.  
  
     
  
"Naw, you must be standing too close to Bryce." Ethan said defensively.  
  
     
  
"It's all your scents mixed together....  Mac, did you shower?"  
  
     
  
"Yes Brynn, I happened to have showered... I say it's the Muggles..."  
  
     
  
"Maybe it's this American Soil?"  Bryce suggested.  
  
     
  
"Nope. The dirt smells fine."  Ethan said, smelling it.  
  
     
  
"Well, maybe we should... turn our noses off..."  
  
     
  
"I got it!"  Mac said.  "JEFF!  TAKE A SHOWER MAN!"  
  
     
  
"Shut up... you're annoying."  Cate snapped.  "It smells fine.  Those Muggles are looking at us now."  
  
     
  
"No Cate, they're looking at you." Brynn said, looking around the town.  "That group of boys really likes your clothes... Those girls are looking at your husband....  Wait- that demented one is looking at Jeff..."  
  
      
  
"Don't make eye contact.  Just keep moving...." Ethan said, in a very educated sort of voice.  "OoOOoOoOOOoooo.. They like us!  Hello!  Hello!  You like my accent?  How lovely!"  
  
     
  
"Let's go to the mall first."  Brynn suggested.  "I always wondered what those were..."  
  
     
  
"We have to take the bus...." Mac said.  "It's LEAVING us!! WAAIIIIT!"  
  
      
  
They caught the bus, barely.  They had to cram people in seats as well.   Bryce was practically on the lap of an elderly Muggle man. Brynn was sitting on Mac, and Ethan was wedged between his parents.  
  
      
  
"Mom!  Dad!  You're embarrassing...  Stop it!  No!  Don't kiss each other on the bus... STOOOOP!  I'm sitting right between you!  Ack!  Bryce, save me!"  
  
      
  
"Sorry mate, I can't move!"  Bryce hollered, as the elderly man beat him with his walking stick.  
  
      
  
"We're here!"  Brynn shouted, jumping off Mac, and sliding off the bus before anyone else.  
  
      
  
"Mall!  I don't get it...." Ethan said, scratching his head.  
  
      
  
"You have to go inside."  Cate informed them.  "Shops are indoors here.   And there's  food court..."  
  
      
  
"Let's eat!  I'm starving!"  Bryce said, pulling everyone with him.  
  
      
  
At the food court, Cate and Bellum had a table to themselves.  There bodies had changed back o what they looked like as 17 year olds.  The Black curse had come back into affect.  It affected them both....There was a group of staring teenagers.  
  
      
  
"We have an audience..."  Bellum said, nodding towards them.  
  
      
  
"Well, we need a show...   Come here... Stand up.... Now, play along..."      
  
   
  
Cate pulled him up, took him off to a corner, and kissed him hard.  Half the teenage group sighed.  Bellum kissed her back, and the rest of the group sighed.  He let his hands wander, and they made a nice show, until the security guard told them to get a room.  Ethan had sank low in his chair, and was bright red…  
  
      
  
"Sorry, we aren't acquainted with your rules.  New to the country."  Bellum said, accent heavier than usual.  
  
      
  
"Well, save it for later, you two young lovebirds." (Cate snorted) at that comment they both giggled.  
  
      
  
"And this is only the first day..." Brynn sighed...  
  
(A/N: Aight, all you people. This is all I'm going to post until some kind soul decides to review! Then I'll post more! Just touch the little button! Type a lil' comment! Make a little author happy!!! Please? I'll give you an imaginary cookie….  
  
Toodles,  
  
Cathy) 


	4. The Real Blackboard Licker is Revealed a...

Chapter 4 The Real Blackboard Licker is Revealed and Watch Out America!  
  
   
  
Meagan hit Sirius in the back of the head.  "YOU TOLD THEM I LICKED THE BLACKBOARD?" She hollered at him, hitting him in the sides and making him hide his head in his hands.  He hit the wall and shrunk down to the ground.  
  
   
  
Harry rolled his eyes and sighed.  James, however, was leaning forward in his seat and was watching with much interest.  Lupin was on the couch and treated it as normality.  "IT WAS YOU SIRIUS!  ADMIT IT!  YOU LICKED THE BLACKBOARD!" Meagan screeched.  
  
   
  
"YOU DID!" Sirius howled like a dog.  He was now cowering against the wall.  With a "pop" he transformed into his Animagi self and scampered away.  "YOU BETTER RUN!" Meagan said, starting after him.  "Meagan." Harry said, putting a hand on Meagan's shoulder.  Meagan tried to jerk out of it but Harry held firm.  
  
   
  
Sirius pranced back into the room with a photo album in his mouth.  He changed back and took it out of his mouth.  It was labeled, "The Marauders."  "I remember taking a picture of it," Sirius confirmed, "It'll be in here."  He opened the book and flipped through the pages.  He came to rest on the fateful picture.  
  
   
  
Harry, James, and Lupin were now looking over Meagan and Sirius's shoulders.  Immediately, Meagan and Sirius burst into fits of hysterical laughter.  Lupin was having quite a hard time holding a straight face.  Harry's mouth was open and his eyebrows were up.  James was now staring at it with great dislike.  
  
   
  
It was a picture of someone licking the blackboard all right, but it wasn't Sirius or Meagan.  It was the Marauder they liked to call…  Prongs.  
  
   
  
James Potter was staring at the picture in great dislike.  His nose was wrinkled and his face was contorted into a look of great dislike.  He closed the photo album with a snap and strode away, leaving Meagan and the others to laugh themselves to tears.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Crystal sipped on her soda.  Her parents had allowed her to go to America with Brian and the Blacks.  Sirius and Lizzie were there, of coarse.  Lizzie missed America and just had to come.  
  
   
  
Brian was sitting next to her, watching his sister and brother-in-law with great interest.  "If I ever do that, Crystal, shoot me." He said, taking a sip of his own soda.  Crystal took another long sip of her soda.  "Don't worry," She said, "I will."  
  
   
  
"Hey." Said a voice.  Brian and Crystal looked up.  It was a boy and girl.  "Can we hang with you?" Asked the girl.  Crystal nodded.  "Sure."  
  
   
  
The boy and girl sat down.  "I'm Aaron." Aaron said, holding out his hand.  Crystal shook his hand and he made a funny look, but didn't say anything.  "Yeah, and I'm Alexandra, but my friends call me Alex." Alex said.  "Are all people in America named alphabetically?" Asked Brian, who got a whack to the back of the head from Crystal.  "I wouldn't talk, Brian Black.  As all your sibling's name's begin with B." She said.  He blushed.  
  
   
  
"Are you British?" Alex asked Brian.  He nodded.  "Yep." He said.  "And are you American?" Aaron asked Crystal.  Crystal's eyebrows went up.  "No.  My mom's American though.  I probably got the American accent from her." She said.   
  
   
  
"Hey, dip-stick." Bryce said, coming up to Brian and hitting his head.  Brian turned around, rubbing his head and glared.  "Heya Bryce." He said, not happy at all that his brother had decided to check up on him.  "Who're your friends?" Bryce asked.  "This is Aaron, and this is Alex." Crystal said.  Bryce sat down, making Brian groan.  Alex looked at Bryce in interest.  
  
   
  
Crystal looked over at Ethan who was still saying, "Hello!  You just love my accent, don't you?  Yes, yes, I'll keep talking!  Don't worry, my mouth never stops!" Crystal shook her head, "You can say that again."  
  
   
  
She turned back to the others.  "Sorry." She said.  "I'm gonna go shopping…  whose with me?"   
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Crystal opened the door to her hotel room.  She closed her eyes and dropped her shopping bags, and fell on the bed.  "Having a nice time, honey?" Asked a voice.  Crystal jumped a full foot into the air, looked around, saw Meagan, and groaned.  And I was having a good time…  she thought.  
  
   
  
Meagan smiled.  She got of the chair beside the bed.  "Happy to see you too." She said.  
  
   
  
Brian came into the room, saw Meagan, and screamed.  "AHH!" He hollered, falling over backwards.  "And I'm just glad you're happy to see me." She said sarcastically.  "Sorry." He said.  
  
   
  
"Came down to see my native homeland." Meagan said with a grin.  "I'm sure Uncle Mark was happy." Crystal said, her eyes purple.  "Oh yes, so glad, in fact, he slammed the door on my face!" Meagan said.  Brian raised his eyebrows.  "Okay then…" he said.   
  
   
  
"Are you staying?" Asked Crystal nervously.  "No, no, I have to help your father with the twins.  You know them…  They got into the attic again and started to take apart my old supplies." Meagan said.  She sighed and shook her head.  "I wonder where they got their energy from…  probably from me…  but what the hay." She said.  
  
   
  
She walked over to the window.  "Well, must be going.  Have fun!  Make sure Sirius had the time of his life." She said, her eyes purple and her lips curling into an evil smile.  She disappeared with a small pop.   
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Mmfrg…" Crystal said.  Brian shook her harder.  "C'mon, Crystal, wake up!"  He hissed, deciding it was almost time to jump on her.  "Mmfrg…  I'm getting up…" Crystal said, rolling over and hitting him across the face.  Brian was knocked over and landed with his face on the ground.  
  
   
  
"Thanks!" He grunted.  "Mmph.  It's 5!" Crystal said, looking at the clock.  "Yeah, we're going to pull the biggest prank we have ever committed in our young lives." Brian said.  At the word prank, Crystal leapt out of bed.  "Do you have equipment?" She asked.  He nodded.  "Let's go!" He said.  
  
   
  
They slowly opened the door to Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac's room.  It squeaked slightly, making Crystal cringe.  She looked over at Brian, who had his teeth clenched.   
  
   
  
Brynn coughed.  Brian mouthed, 'Fire in the hole!' and rolled over behind the dresser.  Brynn rolled over, drawing the blankets closer and mumbled, "Kiss me and kiss me hard, Mac."  Crystal held her nose to keep herself from laughing out loud.  "Kiss me and kiss me hard, Mac!" She mimicked, falling into Brian's arms.  Brian rolled his eyes and dropped her.  
  
   
  
Brian pulled shaving cream out of his bag.  It was labeled, 'Glow Cream-For Pranksters 4 & up.'  "Isn't America great?" He whispered, looking at Crystal's amazed face.  "I wondered why you bought shaving cream…" She said.  "Oh, I bought it so I could shave, too." He said sarcastically.  
  
   
  
He shook it up and threw it to Crystal.  He took one out himself and approached Bryce's bed.  "I've waited so long for this…" He whispered.  He removed the cap and pressed the button.  The shaving cream glowed hot pink.  He drew two little devil horns sticking out of the top of Bryce's head, and made them magically stick up.  Then he drew a beard on with glowing green.  He made a devil's tail and enchanted that too.  
  
   
  
He stepped back to admire his work.  He nodded approvingly.  He looked at Crystal.  "What do ya think?" He asked.  "Fits his personality perfectly." She said.  
  
   
  
She went over to do Brynn.  Brynn had rolled onto her back and was now mumbling, "I love you…  KISS ME!"  Crystal made a face.  Then she took the pink shaving cream and sprayed Brynn's lips, making it look like her lips were huge and puffy.  Then she did it to Brynn's hair with green.  She smeared red paint onto Brynn's nose, adding a nice affect.   
  
   
  
She stood back to admire her handiwork.  "Mm?" She asked.  "Great!" Brian said wickedly.   
  
   
  
Crystal scampered over to do Mac.  She sprayed pink shaving cream into her hands, rubbed together, and spiked his hair.  It was interesting to see Mac with spiked, pink hair.  She then magically drew glasses on and buckteeth, to add affect.  She also drew on freckles, which made him look like a geek trying to be cool.  She had also made sure the marker she had drawn it with was permanent marker.  She even changed his PJs into a blouse with large shorts and suspenders.  
  
   
  
She went back to Brian and threw him the shaving cream.  "Let me see you try to match that." She said, smirking.  "Oooh… I will, don't you worry." He said.  
  
   
  
He strolled over to Ethan.  He waved his wand and changed Ethan's PJs into Barney PJs with booties.  He died Ethan's hair purple and painted his face green.  He took hot pink and glowing green shaving and put spots all over his face and hair.  Brian made the Barneys all over the PJs smile and sing the Barney theme song.   
  
   
  
Brian smiled triumphantly as he walked back.  "We tied." Crystal said as they gave each other high fives.  
  
   
  
To make matters much, much worse, Brian and Crystal TP-ed the whole room.  Toilet Paper hung from everything that it could stick to…  And even things it couldn't when it was held up by magic.  
  
   
  
Yawning, Brian and Crystal left the room, very pleased with themselves.  They changed out of their clothes and back into their PJs and settled down for a nice, summer night…  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
After what seemed like a few minuets, screams erupted from the other room.  Crystal shrieked and fell out of her bed.  Then, remembering her late night, grinned.  
  
   
  
But that grin didn't last long, for Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac ran into the room.  Crystal just had to laugh.  It was the funniest sight, Ethan in Barney PJs, Mac dressed like a dork with pink, spiked hair, Bryce with devil horns and tail, and Brynn with pink hair, a red nose, big puffy lips.  And to top it all off, they were all covered in toilet paper…  
  
   
  
Brian gave a snort in the bed next to Crystal, got up, snorted and laughed.  Crystal reached for the camera on her night table and took several different pictures.  
  
   
  
The four teenagers looked shocked.  This was the best prank Brian and Crystal had ever pulled in their lives… 


	5. Dig Yourself a Hole and Live in it

Chapter 5 Dig Yourself a Hole and Live in It  
  
   
  
"You call your parents embarrassing, Barney boy?"  Bryce snorted, after trailing back off to their room, leaving Brian and Crystal with the camera.  
  
    
  
"Well, I wouldn't talk.  You don't look better!" Ethan shot back.  
  
    
  
"Well, look at me, hey.  I'd say me an' Eath are tied for the worst dressed tonight....  Naw, Ethan's the worst dressed... I just look awful."  Mac laughed.  
  
    
  
"What if this doesn't come out?  Do I want green hair?  No, I most certainly do not...." Brynn groaned, flopping over on her bed.  
  
    
  
"I never thought Brynn cared about her hair...."  Bryce commented.  
  
    
  
"Well I do if it's green!"  
  
    
  
"Well, good point."  
  
    
  
Several hours later, they were al cleaned up, but Mac still had small faded freckles, and Ethan was humming that dreadful Barney tune....  Brynn had thrown several objects at him, yet he was still humming....  
  
     
  
They all dressed themselves in Muggle clothes yet again and set out the door.  Brynn shifted uncomfortably in her rather tight shirt and fiddled with the belt on her jeans.  Mac looked quite normal, though he didn't match.  Bryce was the most normal looking guy, in his slightly baggy carpenter jeans and tee shirt, but Ethan however, was a little queer looking....  Green most certainly doesn't match pink, and we was wearing women's shoes...  
  
      
  
"Ethan.... Are those my shoes?"  Brynn questioned, raising one eyebrow.  
  
     
  
"Erm... I didn't know whose they were...."  
  
     
  
"Here mate, let me fix that...." Bryce sighed, and Ethan was suddenly more normal looking, in similar clothes to Bryce and Ethan.  
  
     
  
"You're embarrassing..." Brynn sighed.  "All three of you!  Mac, your pants are falling down..."  
  
     
  
"Oops, sorry bout' that."  Mac said, adjusting the belt, and hitching up his pants.  
  
     
  
"Well, Cate seems to have her husband perfectly dressed..." Brynn laughed, as they passed Cate, fiddling with Bellum's clothing, making it look more decent.  She herself looked like something directly out of a fashion magazine....  
  
     
  
"I still never got to take you to dinner...." Bellum said.  "I'm taking you tonight..."  
  
    
  
"Oh, are you being bossy?"  Cate grinned, her eyes glinting.  
  
     
  
"Well, I was trying..."  
  
     
  
"I like it...  Where's dinner?"  
  
     
  
"How do you feel about that fancy place across the street?"  
  
     
  
"Hm.... Nice.  We get to dress up.  I say it's a deal."  
  
     
  
"And I'll clean the floor back home to seal it..."  
  
     
  
"Alright..."  
  
     
  
The group of four moved on, quick to avoid the mushy scene that was coming....  Especially Ethan.  He shielded his face, going a brilliant scarlet color.  
  
     
  
"Dig yourself a hole, and live in it...." Mac suggested.  
  
     
  
"I was thinking more along the lines of 6 feet, by 6 feet..."  Ethan grumbled.  "I swear, they're too old..."  
  
     
  
"Well, technically they are.  But their bodies went back to being 17 again.  So are mum and dad's..." Brynn groaned.  
  
     
  
"Yes, sadly.  We look almost the same as our parents..." Bryce sighed.  "Kind of strange...."  
  
     
  
"Where are we headed today?"  Ethan said, changing the subject.  
  
     
  
"Shopping again?"  Brynn suggested.  
  
     
  
"No... I want to go to a sporting event.  To see what sports Muggles like.  Let's watch Football!"  Mac said, interested.  
  
     
  
"It's not football season..." Ethan commented.  
  
     
  
"Aw..."  
  
    
  
 "Yes, but there's baseball..." Bryce shrugged.  "But I don't know what it is..."  
  
     
  
"Oh too bad..." Brynn grinned.  "I guess we have to go shopping again!"  
  
     
  
"Again?" The boys groaned.  
  
     
  
"Well, we can eat first."   Brynn practically commanded. "Socialize with some Muggles..."  
  
     
  
"Fun...."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Hey! Um... Brian and.... Crystal!"  Aaron the American Muggle called.  
  
      
  
Brian and Crystal turned around instantly, to see who knew their names.   It was Aaron and Alex.  Aaron and Alex thought they were a little strange, but they liked them anyways.  
  
      
  
"Hey, do you want to play basketball with us?"  Alex asked.  She looked at Brian, who looked around nervously.  They didn't know how to play...  
  
      
  
"Sure!"  Crystal said, before Brian had a chance to react.  
  
      
  
'Crys, do you know how to play?'  Brian asked her telepathically.  
  
      
  
'No, don't you?'  
  
      
  
'NO!'  
  
      
  
'Um... Well, we'll think of something...'  
  
      
  
"Hey, what's that building there?  Brian asked Alex.  
  
      
  
"That's the school.  It's closed for now.  Because it's summer..." Alex answered.  
  
      
  
"Oh. I see."  
  
      
  
"What's that over there?"  Crystal said, pointing over Aaron.  
  
      
  
"Amusement Park...  See the Roller Coaster?"  
  
      
  
"Oh yes!  That sounds fun!  Let's go there!"  Brian and Crystal shouted at once.  
  
      
  
"Well, I suppose we could..." Alex said.  
  
      
  
"Yeah, basketball can wait..." Aaron added.  
  
      
  
"That was a close call to looking very stupid..." Crystal whispered to Brian, as they changed direction towards the place with the thing called a Roller coaster...  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Gorgeous.  How do you manage to look so good?"  
  
       
  
"I was going to ask you...  But let me fix your tie... There."  
  
       
  
Bellum was finally getting to take Cate out to dinner.  Cate was dressed in a showy (as always) red evening gown type dress.  It was tighter at the chest and waist, and graced her hips loosely, then flaring out, and a long slit up the right side of the skirt part.  
  
       
  
Bellum was very stylish himself.  He was getting used to the tuxedo, and though Cate made him change the tie with little horseshoes on it, he was satisfied with his looks...  His dark hair was gelled, and his eyes caught the light and shone.  
  
       
  
"There."  Cat said, leaning forward once she had fixed his tie to kiss him.  
  
       
  
"Hey, hey now... At this rate we won't make it to dinner.  We have time for this afterwards..."  
  
       
  
"Mmmm...  Too bad."  Cate sighed, taking his arm.  
  
       
  
Dinner was at a real nice lounge.  Everyone was well dressed, and Cate and Bellum got quite a few heads to turn their direction.  After a nice dinner, they ventured to the dance floor.  Cate danced now.  Though it was rather reluctantly.  
  
       
  
"My luck that my husband is the best dancer n the entire world...  That means I have to dance.  Too bad you can't play Quidditch too well..."  
  
       
  
"Yes... Shame, eh?  Too bad my wife can't dance...." Bellum laughed, pulling Cate closer and trying to get her to step the right way.  
  
       
  
"Well, I say we get back."  Cate said, glancing at the staring people.  
  
   
  
She still didn't like people all around her.  It was one of those things that made her queasy.  
  
       
  
"Aww... alright.  Did you enjoy dinner?"  
  
       
  
"Yes, I actually did.  There's just too many people.  I like just you and I better... We aren't getting to sped as much time together, with the kids and everything."  
  
       
  
"Mm... I know.  Maybe we can get Sirius an Liz to take them for a bit sometime..." Bellum said, taking Cate's arm and leading her to the door.  
  
       
  
The hotel was only across the street, and they arrived quickly.  This time they didn't make much of a public scene, a few quick kisses here and there, but they went straight to their room.  Bellum flopped over on the bed, and took Cate with him.   He kissed her softly and sat up again.  
  
       
  
"So what's in a kiss, Catie?  What do like seem to like so much about kissing me?" he sighed.  
  
       
  
Cate smiled, and sighed. Her eyes glinted, and she stood up.  She took her husband with her.  "Well, kiss me, a long kiss, I'll decide that now..."       
  
   
  
So he kissed her.  He placed his hands on her waist, and closed his eyes.  Cate thought about everything as she kissed him.  This was unusual.  No one thinks when they kiss each other.  A few seconds later, he pulled out of it and looked at Cate.  
  
       
  
"Your hands." She said finally.  
  
       
  
"My hands?"  Bellum asked, a little confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
       
  
"Well see, they started on my waist.   That's not where they ended up.  You left hand moved.... Up.  The right one didn't move a lot, but pulled me closer.  It's all in the feel... See, it goes farther than just the face. But- I love it when you have your hands on my face.  I don't know why. You're really soft, and romantic."  
  
        
  
"Well... Uh... I guess I'll just keep that up." He smiled.  
  
        
  
"So what do you like about kissing me?"  Cate said, grinning again, and looking him in the eyes.  
  
        
  
"Hmm... You put a lot of passion into everything. Everything you do has a meaning.  And your skin is soft.  Kissing you is the reason I feel sorry for every other man on this planet.  You're mine, and no one else's.  They can't have you.  I'm the only one that can look at you and say, 'Well, that's what I'll be doing tonight.  That gorgeous woman, my wife.  Mine to hug and hold forever.'  Ever think that?"  
  
        
  
"Mm-hmm...  I have actually.  Makes me feel accomplished.  I'm glad you're my husband...  Kids and all..."  
  
        
  
"Ahh... the kids...  I think we had Ethan too soon almost.  We only had about a year for ourselves...."  
  
        
  
"Well...  I have no comment.  Sometimes things happen when you least expect it. Besides, Ethan's a good boy..."  
  
        
  
"Just wished we had more time to raise him.  Life goes too fast..."  
  
        
  
"And speaking of speed... Hasn't this night gone a little slowly?  We've talked each other to sleep the past week and a half...."  
  
        
  
"Mm... You're right. Well... Come here then.  We'll start this night off with a nice massage."  
  
        
  
"Alright... Haven't had a massage in a long time..."  
  
((A/N: Aight, just click the button. Also, I think I will eliminate some confusion for some of you people who have not read the prequels to this story. So here is what kids belong to what parents… Even as an author, I still confuse them all, and don't know all of them even….  
  
Sirius and Elizabeth Black: Cate is their oldest, who is married to Bellum, and has children of her own. This is the same evil Cate. Brynn and Bryce are their twins, who are the oldest kids that live with them. Next comes Brian, who is the same age as Crystal Potter. Then it's Bridgett, and finally Brooke.  
  
Cate and Bellum Pugnare: These two produced Ethan first, thus throwing Cate's evil hold on the world into the dust. Their next child is the sinister Felicity. Then it's cheerful bright little Paige, and baby Jack. Another one's on the way…  
  
Meagan and Harry Potter: Crystal comes first, then followed by Neil. Then come the twins, Jo and Jess, and lastly, Juanita (more commonly known as Nita) There is also another little Potter on the way…  
  
Marykate and Ron Weasley: Well, let's just say I don't know all of these ones. There's a Fred and George, and a Ginny… that I know of. But I think there are loads of them.  
  
Dolere and Draco Malfoy: So far, that have appeared in this fic are Ariana and Debra.  
  
Facere and Lord Voldemort: Er… This is a strange one. **Raises one eyebrow** Ask Meagan… So far we have two daughters for this uh… odd little pairing. Malicia is the oldest, and is followed by Pandemonia.  
  
Then we have a few extra people. Mac isn't any of the main characters' children. He's just there, and a friend of Brynn, Bryce, and Ethan. Athena, Sirius's younger sister, has two kids with her husband Ryan. They are Marie and Dominic.  
  
So, any-who, I hope that lifted some confusion amongst you people!  
  
Toodles,  
  
Cathykcool)) 


	6. The Difference Between Roller Coasters a...

Chapter 6 The Differences Between Roller Coasters and Quidditch  
  
   
  
Crystal looked nervously over the side of the Muggle contraption she was in.  Alex had called it a roller coaster, but Crystal didn't think it was coasting so well right now.  She was bumping up and down so constantly she felt like she was going to be sick!  And they were going up a very steep hill made of metal.  Crystal had never trusted metal…  She preferred magic.  
  
   
  
She looked out of the front car of the roller coaster when they stopped.  Was this it?  
  
   
  
She glanced at Alex, who was grinning broadly.  "Is this it?" Crystal began to ask, but then they dipped suddenly downward.  She began to scream because she wasn't expecting it.  Actually, it was rather like a broomstick with out the broomstick…  well, that wouldn't make sense, so I'll just say it was like flying.   
  
   
  
She heard Brian screaming behind her.  She turned around to see him, but was swung violently sideways when they turned a corner.  She rammed into Alex, who grunted.   
  
   
  
Crystal shrieked as they went upward suddenly.  She looked down over the last hill and screamed again.  The cart stopped suddenly and Crystal was flung out of it.  She heard people gasp as she rolled down the track.  She stood up on unsteady legs, took a few swaggering steps, and sat down again, waving absently at the people watching.  
  
   
  
When they were safely on solid ground, Crystal staggered over to Brian and muttered, "I think I like Quidditch better…  I'd rather get hit with a Bludger!" Brian shrugged, "I think I'd rather that than a Bludger in the face…" He said.  
  
   
  
Crystal stubbed her toe on a rock and hollered, at the top of her lungs, "OH, FOR THE LOVE OF QUIDDITCH!"  People (especially Alex and Aaron) stopped to stare.  "Puffskeins!  OH FOUR FOUNDERS ABOVE!" She yelped as she fell flat on her face.  
  
   
  
Brian helped her up, his eyes swiveling around at the staring people.  "C'mon Crys, let's go, I think you've had too much caffeine…" He said, dragging her along.  
  
   
  
They hurried along, hunched over and trying not to be seen.  Aaron and Alex pushed people past to get through to Crystal and Brian.  Brian and Crystal, of coarse, had different plans.  They ran along, trying to avoid everyone and everything.  
  
   
  
Crystal stopped when she ran out of breath.  She leaned against the wall and started to bang her head on it.  "I-am-so-stupid." She moaned.  "Yelling about the Founders and Quidditch…  Oooh…" She turned around so that her back was flat against the concrete wall.  She slid down it, eventually sitting up straight.  
  
   
  
"I should have just stayed at home with Mum, Dad, Neil, the twins, and Nita…" She said.  "C'mon Crys, everyone makes mistakes.  I bet even the Marauders have made a mistake or two.  I mean, look at what we did last night.  Wasn't that great?" Brian asked, shaking Crystal's shoulders.  
  
   
  
Aaron and Alex came around the corner, breathing fast.  "What was that all about?" Alex asked as Aaron leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.  "Oh…  Crystal…  erm…  she…  er…  Let something embarrassing slip." Brian said, glancing at Brian and saying 'Go along with it.' Telepathically.  
  
   
  
Crystal nodded slowly.  "C'mon guys, let's go play something and forget about it." She said.  Aaron and Alex nodded but were still exchanging strange looks.  
  
   
  
"How about…  we go swimming?" Aaron suggested.  "Okay!" Crystal said brightly.  She loved to swim.  "There's a pool at the hotel!  Let's go!" She said, running past them with great enthusiasm.  So the three others shrugged and followed her.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Moonlight…  C'mon!" Brian groaned, clasping Crystal's wrist and trying to drag her forward.  Crystal dug her sandaled heels into the ground.  "No!  I'm not going out into public looking like…  this!" She said, gesturing to her bathing suit.  It was a blue bikini with one large star on the top.  She didn't like the idea of people seeing her in it.  She was fine with her family and friends, but not strangers.  
  
   
  
Brian dragged her to the pool's edge.  She shuddered as boys along the pool whistled and clapped.  Aaron was most likely the loudest.  "Lookin' nice, Crystal…." He said smoothly, trying to tame his wet hair.  Crystal, feeling irritable, snapped, "Shut up."  Aaron looked hurt.  "It was a compliment…" He said sadly.  Crystal rolled her eyes.  
  
   
  
She climbed the diving board and prepared to jump when she heard a voice.  "Oooh, if it isn't Crystal Potter." It said.  She turned around and saw Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac behind her.  She grasped the railings tightly.  "We found out about your little joke." Brynn said.  Crystal looked down to see Brian, who gulped.  "We're going to punish you severely, too…" Bryce said.   
  
   
  
Crystal felt her foot slip over the edge of the diving board.  Mac and Ethan started for her, so she jumped.  She was shocked when she felt the coolness of the water hit her face.  She lay, unable to move for a few moments, but was brought back to life when she heard two other splashes behind her.  
  
   
  
Taking a deep breath, she dove down deeper.  She heard Ethan and Mac yelling as they splashed about helplessly in their sopping wet clothes.  She reached the bottom and held there, before she noticed something moving.  She screamed, letting bubbles fly from her mouth.  A Grindylow was pushing itself up from the drain/vent in the pool's bottom.   
  
   
  
She began to kick her legs, so as to go upwards, but felt the strong hand of the Grindylow grasp her leg.  She kicked and floundered, trying to get it to release her.  They hadn't learned about Grindylows in D.A.D.A yet!  
  
   
  
'Brian!  Help!  A Grindylow's got me!' She screamed telepathically to Brian.  Brian seemed shocked.  'I'll get Brynn or Bryce to help you! Wait a minute!' He replied.  
  
   
  
'I CAN'T WAIT A MINUTE!  I'M RUNNING OUT OF AIR!' Crystal retorted, aiming a kick the Grindylow's horned face.  
  
   
  
A few moments later, she heard someone lashing through the water above her.  She felt the last of the air in her lungs compress.  She thrust her head upwards as the Grindylow started to drag her downwards.  She saw Brynn swimming with all her might down to get her.  
  
   
  
Must…  Stay…  Awake… Crystal thought desperately.  She felt her legs give way and couldn't move them anymore.  Brynn reached her hands out.  Crystal reached out to Brynn.  She felt dizzy.  She felt about ready to faint.  Brynn whipped out her wand and shouted a spell.  Crystal felt the grip on her leg being released and felt a new one on her arm…  but it wasn't a Grindylow's, but Brynn's.  
  
   
  
With her remaining strength, she murmured, "Thanks." To feel only bubbles leave her lips.  She saw the surface only inches away from her face.  She tried, and failed to stay awake.  She looked desperately into Brynn's face, which started to dim, until everything went black.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Crystal coughed and something wet spilled over her lips.  She didn't remember what had happened.  She strained her memory and it hit her.  
  
   
  
Dive…  water…  Grindylow…  Brian…  spell…  air…  Brynn…  surface…  black.  She didn't dare to open her eyes.  She coughed again, spitting up more water.  
  
   
  
"Moonlight!  Crystal!  Crys!  Potter!" She heard Brian say.  "CRYTAL!" Alex and Aaron's voices said in union.  
  
   
  
Crystal's eyelids fluttered.  "Grindylow…" She muttered.  "Someone's trying to get me…  Voldemort…  Felicity…  Ariana…  Malicia…" Her eyes snapped open and she sat up…  Or, at least, she tried.  Sirius was holding her down.  
  
   
  
"Crystal…  here.  Take some of this." He said, handing her a smoking goblet.  Crystal took it with a shaking hand and drained it.  She almost spit it out it tasted so horrible.  It tasted like broccoli and spinach put together.  She gave a sudden lurch and spit up all the chlorine and pool water that had been in her system.  
  
   
  
She gave a shuddering gasp.  "Oooh…" She moaned, clutching her stomach.  "Sorry…" Sirius said, "But if I'd told you, you wouldn't have taken it at all…" Crystal's eyes flashed red.  "No duh I wouldn't have…" She said.  He sighed.  "You're just like your mother, you are." He said, shaking his head.  
  
   
  
She lay back and hit her head on the bed rest of the bed she was in.  Across the room, a vase exploded.  Alex and Aaron quickly turned around to see what it was.  They saw nothing, for Crystal had cleaned it up with a motion on her finger.  Sirius shook his head again.  "Just like her." He muttered.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME!  TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL!  BUY ME SOME PEANUTS AND CRACKER JACKS!  I DON'T CARE IF WE EVER GET BACK!" Brian bellowed.  Crystal punched him in the stomach.  "Shut up, already!" She howled, covering her ears.  "ROOT, ROOT, ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM!  IF THEY DON'T WIN IT'S A SHAME!  FOR IT'S ONE-TWO-THREE STRIKES YOUR OUT IN THE OLD…  BALL…  GAME!" Brian hollered, finishing the song.  Crystal sighed and lowered her hands, but clapped them back to the sides of her head as he began to sing it again.  
  
   
  
"God, Brian, SHUT UP!" Aaron said, turning around in his seat.  Brian was ignoring everyone and everything, it seemed, for he kept shouting the song.  "Make him stop!" Alex moaned, hitting her forehead.  "Brian, will you please shut up!  It's now starting to get on my nerves!" Lizzie Black said from the front seat of the minivan they were in.  
  
   
  
Brian finally realized they were talking to him, stopped, and started to sing, "GOD BLESS AMERICA!  LAND THAT I LOVE!  STAND BESIDE HER, AND GIDE HER!" Crystal glowered at him, her eyes red.  He didn't notice, of coarse, because he had his eyes clamped shut while he was bawling the song at the top of his lungs.  
  
   
  
They were on their way to see the Boston Red Sox play the New York Yankees.  They took Alex and Aaron with them, for Alex and Aaron had treated them to the amusement park.  They were all very excited of coarse.  
  
   
  
Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac were all in another car with Sirius, thank the good lord.  "BRIAN BLACK!  SHUT UP OR I'LL SET YOU ON FIRE!" Crystal screamed.  Lizzie turned around.  "You will not." She said hotly.  
  
   
  
Crystal began to hit her head on the car window.  She had an idea and her face brightened.  She popped a peanut in her mouth.  She saw Brian watching her as she swallowed.  She then clutched her throat and made gagging noises.  Brian, Aaron, and Alex started to panic.  Crystal then winked at Aaron and Alex when Brian wasn't looking.  Alex had an 'Ooooh!' look on her face and Aaron nodded.  
  
   
  
"Gaaa!  Crystal's choking!" Brian shouted, waving his hands around.  Crystal put another peanut in her mouth when Brian wasn't looking, and when he turned around, spit it out.  It hit his eye, making him scream again.  "SHE POKED MY BLOODY EYE OUT!" He hollered.   
  
   
  
All of them (Crystal, Aaron, and Alex) burst out laughing.  Brian, his eyesight recovered, made a face at Crystal, who threw another peanut at him.  Brian reached his hand deep into the box of cracker jacks and chucked the whole handful at her.  Crystal shrieked and shook up her soda.  "You wouldn't." He said.  "She would!" Aaron said as Crystal pointed the can at Brian and opened it.  All the Coke came spraying out and got him soaked.  He blew his sopping bangs out of his eyes and reached for his soda.  
  
   
  
He shook it up and aimed it at Crystal, who ducked, causing the Orange soda to hit Aaron full in the face.  Aaron gasped, took the ice cream of the top of its cone, and threw it with all his might at Brian.  It hit Brian, but splattered and hit Crystal and Alex too.  Alex then took her soda and aimed it at both Aaron and Crystal.  Both unnoticing victims got soda in the face.  Crystal gasped and reached for her peanuts.  She took a handful and threw it at Aaron, thinking it was he who sprayed the soda.  The peanuts hit Aaron and stuck to his face.  
  
   
  
Brian took his cracker jacks and threw them at Crystal.  It stuck in her hair and on her clothes.  She gasped and took some of Aaron's popcorn.  She chucked it at Brian and it hit the right side of his face.  Alex took her cotton candy, took a piece, and rubbed it in Brian's hair.  Brian gasped and looked at Alex with an evil glint in his eyes.  
  
   
  
"No one… messes… with… the hair." He said, taking two soda cans and spraying Alex with both.  When they were empty, he brought them to his mouth and blew on them.  Alex unbuckled her seatbelt and clambered into the back seat.  She took two pieces of cotton candy and put them in both Brian and Crystal's hair.  
  
   
  
The song "Who Let the Dogs Out" suddenly blared out of the car's speakers.  It was the perfect song for the perfect occasion.  "WHO!  WHO!  WHO!  WHO!" Brian sang with it as he got Crystal and Aaron with the cracker jacks.  Alex fwapped Aaron in the back of the head.  They both shrieked and fell over laughing.  
  
   
  
The car stopped.  "Well, kids, we're here." Lizzie said, turning around.  "OH MY GOD!" She screamed seeing the four preteens covered in soda, peanuts, cracker jacks, popcorn, and cotton candy.  "Uh…  Hi?" Brian tried pathetically.  Lizzie's face was growing red.  "Uh oh." Alex said.  
  
   
  
Brian pushed the seat away and ran out the door.  "I'm gonna go get cleaned up, Mum!" He shouted as he went.  Crystal immediately followed him.  "Yeah, me too!" She said.  Alex and Aaron followed them.  "Us three!" They chorused, running for the rest rooms.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"I still have a peanut in my ear." Brian said, digging his finger vigorously in his ear and trying to get a peanut out of his ear.  "Yeah, and I still have cotton candy in my hair." Aaron said, shaking his head.  "Ha, ha, ha!" Crystal said, looking immaculate.  
  
   
  
"Shut up." Brian said, swatting at Crystal.  She ducked and he missed.  "Don't mess with the skilled Quidditch player." She said in his ear.  The hair on the back of his neck rose in anger.  
  
   
  
"Hey!  Meagan!  Over here!" Lizzie shouted, standing over by the car.  Crystal looked up at the mention of her mother's name.  Sure enough, Meagan Potter came pattering over with a small shirt on with a light corduroy jacket to match.  She had small jean-like shorts on and she was also wearing hot pink shoes.  
  
   
  
Crystal groaned.  "Mom…  What are you doing here?" She asked.  "I came down to see baseball game.  I always loved to watch baseball games, you know that."  Meagan said, coming over to where the four children were standing.  
  
   
  
Since Meagan was short, she was only about a head taller than them.  Wearing the clothes she was wearing, she looked like a 16-year-old.  There was a roar form the stadium.  Meagan swiveled her head around.  "C'mon, it's about to start!" She said, running into the stadium.  Shrugging, everyone else followed.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"THAT WAS GREAT!" Meagan said vigorously as she left the stadium.  She not only had what she was wearing now, but a backpack with a Red Sox flag sticking out, a Red Sox hat, a Red Sox drinking cup, and two Red Sox pom- poms.   
  
   
  
"You are so embarrassing!" Crystal groaned, sulking along beside Meagan, her head down.  "I not only look like a little you, you have to go around showing it off!" She said.  "You should be proud you look like me!" Meagan scolded, "I was getting boys by age 11!"  
  
   
  
Crystal went red and remembered the scene at the pool.  "I caught your father with my personality, though." Meagan said thoughtfully.  She grinned and clapped Crystal on the shoulder.  "Be glad you have good looks…  and that you don't have Mk."  She added.  
  
   
  
"Well, I'm going to go now.  I'll see you at home!  Maybe even your friends can come over sometime!" Meagan said, walking away.  Crystal waved before she saw some men with a board walked by, and when they were gone, Crystal couldn't see her mother anymore.  
  
   
  
Aaron leaned over to her.  "You're mom is hot." He said.  Crystal stared.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"I swear, Dark Rider, someone's out to get me." Crystal said.  Brian shook his head.  "Moonlight, who and why would someone be after you?" He asked.  "Well, there are lots of people who could be after me…  
  
   
  
"Like?"  
  
   
  
"Voldemort, Malicia, Felicity, Ariana, Blick, Cate…  do you want me to continue?"  
  
   
  
"No thanks, but why?"  
  
   
  
"Reason #1, I have powers.  Reason #2, my father is Harry Potter. Reason #3, my mother is Meagan Potter.  Reason #4, I can die once and live.  Reason #5, you can obtain my powers once I die.  Reason #6, I-!"  
  
   
  
"Okay, okay, I catch your drift.  But why do you think someone's out to get you?"  
  
   
  
"Well, the Grindylow, for instance.  Grindylow's only live in Britain and Ireland…  What would one be doing here?"  
  
   
  
"Mm…  Okay, the Grindylow."  
  
   
  
Crystal stopped, clicked her fingers, and made an orange soda appear.  She took a sip and took on a contented look.  She leaned back in her chair and sighed.  "Well, I think I've taken on my mother and father's gift for getting into trouble." She said.  "I agree." Brian said.  
  
   
  
She looked out the window and saw the moon high in the sky.  "Well, it's late.  I think we'd better get to sleep." Crystal said.  She clicked her fingers and the empty soda-can vanished.  "I can't wait to play Quidditch again." She mumbled, waving her hand and changing in an instant.  She walked over to the bed and slipped under the covers.  
  
   
  
She turned off the lights and then turned them on again.  She lifted her head off her pillow, looked around, and saw nothing.  "It was probably just my imagination." She murmured, shutting off the light.  
  
   
  
Little did the two wizards know, two muggles had heard their conversation.  The two muggles' eyes were wide now.  "Alex?" whispered the blonde boy muggle.  "Aaron?" replied the blonde muggle girl.  Alex and Aaron looked at each other, lost for words.  
  
*** (A/N: **sigh** PLEASE review! I ask this little thing of you!) *** 


	7. Controversial Cup

Chapter 7 Controversial Cup  
  
   
  
Alex looked at Aaron.  Aaron looked at Alex.  Alex screamed.  Aaron screamed.  They both ran away as fast as they could...  Crystal and Brian sat up, and looked at each other.  
  
    
  
"Crys, I think someone heard us..." Brian muttered.  
  
    
  
"I think someone did too."  Crystal muttered in reply.  
  
    
  
"Well, maybe they just think we're crazy.  Or maybe they thought they were dreaming!  We just won't tell anyone...."  
  
    
  
"Um... yeah.  Especially my mother..."  
  
    
  
"Well, G'night."  
  
    
  
"Night'"  
  
    
  
They both went to sleep, as if nothing at all had happened.... They were leaving the next day anyways.  The worst thing that could happen was that the Muggles thought they were crazy....  Just as long as none of the adults knew...  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Brian!!!  Get up!!!"  Brynn hollered, banging on the door.  "We're leaving in an hour!"  
  
    
  
"Okay..." Brian mumbled.  "Hey Crys, wake up..."  
  
    
  
"Mrgh...  What?"  
  
    
  
"We're leaving soon."  
  
    
  
"Oh."  
  
    
  
Crystal sighed, sat up, and waved her wand.  She was dressed.  Brian could do that too, but he preferred to sleep in an extra five minutes, and let Crystal go downstairs without him...  
  
    
  
"Aaron, Alex?" she said, approaching the blonde Muggles.  Both of them jumped abut a foot in the air.  
  
   
  
 "Hello."  Aaron said rather shakily.  
  
    
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
    
  
"Uh... No."  Alex said quickly.  "We're just a little shaken that you have to leave so soon!  Time's never passed this quickly."  
  
    
  
"Oh... Brian!  Welcome to the world!  Care to join us?"  
  
    
  
"Yeah," Brian yawned.  He smoothed out his hair, which was naturally dark brown, but was highlighted blonde. He loved his hair... "Where are my mum and dad?"  
  
    
  
"Which ones are your parents?'  Alex asked.  She had looked around the whole crowd, picking out the abnormal looking ones...   There were loads of them.  The ones she knew as Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac stood out the most though...  She hadn't seen Cate yet... "Oh wait, I know... never mind.  Sorry... They're over there."  
  
     
  
"Oh, I thought they'd be sleeping in, as usual." Brian sighed.  "I was kind of hoping they'd delay the parting..."  
  
    
  
"Me too!"  Crystal chimed in.  
  
    
  
"Yeah, us too."  Aaron wasn't paying attention.  He had finally spotted Cate, escorted by Bellum, who had slept in a little late.  He was staring, not blinking.  
  
    
  
"Aaron, what are you looking at?"  Alex sighed.  
  
    
  
"Oh... Erm... Remember when I said your," He paused and looked at Crystal. "Well, I said your mom was hot.  She's hotter."  
  
    
  
"That's my sister!"  Brian said, in the "Ewwww..." sort of voice.  
  
    
  
"Oh.  Well, she's still hot.  She's got a perfect body... Look at her eyes, and her hair... and..."  
  
   
  
"Ewww... That's Cate."  Crystal groaned.  "She's evil.  She's mean.   Not one with a winning personality, I tell you.  Don't let her catch you looking at her, she might bite your head off."  
  
   
  
Aaron quickly looked away, beginning to think that she probably would, judging by what Crystal and Brian talked about last night.  Alex shot him a glare, and they both looked back at Brian and Crystal.  
  
    
  
"Anyways, she's about the only person here that matches." Alex commented.  
  
    
  
"She's still my sister.  Her daughter is our enemy, and her oldest son is Ethan."  
  
    
  
"Oh, I see.  So she's how old?"  Aaron asked again.  
  
    
  
"Same age as my dad."  Crystal replied.  
  
   
  
 "Oooh... Wish I had her beauty secret…" Alex shuddered.  It was magic.  She knew it.  It scared her...  But it was kind of cool, in her opinion.  
  
    
  
"I have to go."  Ethan was heard saying across the hotel lobby.  "Sorry girls, I know, but I can't stay here forever.  Tell ya what, maybe I'll send you a voice recording..."  
  
    
  
"The sooner we get out of this filthy place, the better."  Cate whispered to Bellum.  "I never liked America, and never will.  C'mon... I'm telling them we have to leave..."  
  
    
  
"Oh, I understand."  Bellum whispered back.  Cate had never gotten used to the States.  Her life had been horrible when she had lived there before, and she didn't intend to like it anymore now.  
  
    
  
"PILE UP!  WE'RE GOING! EVERYONE ON THE BUS!"  Cate shouted, wishing she could magnify her voice  
  
   
  
The whole crowd groaned, and started to move toward the door.  Crystal and Brian paused to say goodbye to Alex and Aaron.  
  
    
  
"We'll send you a letter!"  Crystal shouted, getting caught in the crowd.   
  
   
  
"Maybe a picture!  Of our houses!"  
  
    
  
"Goodbye!"  Aaron and Alex said in unison.  They watched Crystal and Brian leave, and once the bus had pulled away, they took off as fast as the could...  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"It is good to be home."  Cate sighed.  
  
    
  
"Ahh... The smell of the Wizarding World!"  Mac said, taking a deep breath.  
  
    
  
"Oh no...  Not this again..." Brynn said, shaking her head.  
  
    
  
"It smells... GOOD!  Jeff, dude, did you shower?"  
  
    
  
Jeff turned around and glared at Mac, who made a face.  Brynn couldn't help but giggling.  Everyone was trying to act American, and Cate was trying to stop them.  She really didn't like American anything, though no one blamed her.  
  
    
  
"Gotta get home..." Cate muttered.  She just wanted to sleep.  She needed a lot of it.  
  
    
  
About an hour later, she got her wish.  She was at home, asleep, and sleeping very peacefully at that.  This left Bellum with the kids. He was trying to calm Felicity, who was angry that she didn't get to go, and Ethan, who was blinding the mantle.  Jack was crying, and he was rushing about, doing three things at once.  
  
    
  
"It isn't FAIR!"  Felicity hissed.  "I want to go!"  
  
   
  
"You can come next time sweetie.  You aren't old enough..."  
  
    
  
"BRIAN got to go!  And Crystal went with him!  Why couldn't I go?!"  
  
    
  
"Well, see, Crystal was there, you wouldn't want to go."  
  
    
  
"But she got to do something I didn't! ARRGHH! It isn't fair daddy!"  
  
    
  
"Lissy, calm down.  I'll buy you something next time we go shopping..." Bellum coaxed.  
  
    
  
"Fine.  I want a new broom."  
  
     
  
"Alright dear.  A new broom it is then."  
  
    
  
"Thank you daddy!"  Felicity said, running up to the stairs, probably planning what kind of top-of-the-line broom she was getting...  Bellum sighed, and picked Jack out of the playpen.  
  
   
  
"That's my boy...  Is Jackie going to be a good boy when he gets big?  Yes... yes...  Aww..." he cooed.  
  
    
  
He played with the baby, eventually putting him to bed, and then going to sleep himself.  Cate was in a death-like sleep.  She hadn't gotten much sleep during that trip.  He didn't bother changing either, and flopped down next to his wife, drifting off instantly...  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Cate stretched.  She pulled the covers off herself, and sat up.  In satin red pajamas, she looked like a normal person.  Her hair was sloppy, but she looked much better now that she was rested up.  The space next to her was empty, so she rolled over, and out of the bed.  She looked herself over in the mirror, touching her cloud-shaped scar and grimacing.  On her arm, she looked at the Death Eater Mark that was still there.  Every day, she needed to perform a spell to make it disappear.  It would always be there.  Even though people couldn't see it, it was still there.  It burned quite often, and quite painfully as well.  It was a Souvenir of her time as being evil.  
  
    
  
She pulled off her pajamas, and started the shower.  She loved the feel of the steam.  It was somehow calming, and relaxing.  She stayed in the shower quite sometime, before magically drying herself off, and changed into scarlet robes.  She liked red; it looked good with her hair in her eyes.  She felt sorry for people with lighter hair, they looked funny in red...  
  
    
  
She strolled down the stairs, in a rather good mood, and off to the kitchen.  Bellum had cooked breakfast for her.  Toast...  With jelly.  She grinned, and took a bite of a piece.  
  
    
  
"You got rid of the kids?" she said, looking at the newspaper.  She had beaten Bellum to it.  As long as sh could remember, the newspaper was his favorite way to start the morning' and end the evening before they went off to bed.  
  
    
  
"Yeah... Got Sirius to take Lissy shopping... Since she didn't get to come with. Paige is with Bridgett, Ethan's with Brynn and Bryce, and Jack is still asleep..."  
  
    
  
"Alone again." Cate sighed.  
  
    
  
"Oh, and you've gotten an owl."  Bellum added, handing her a parchment letter.  "From the Department of Magical Games and Sports."  
  
    
  
"I see.  What do they want with me this time?"  Cate sighed, opening the letter.  She scanned it quickly, Bellum looking over her shoulder.  "They want me to oversee the World Cup.  As a judge.  Not that it's an important job; I just hand over the Cup to the winner...  I suppose this is a way to attract visitors, word that I'm doing something this time around.  Last time was before I had Jack...  I looked like a blimp, there was no way I was going out..."  
  
    
  
"Well, you look fine now.  Are you going to do the Department a favor and be there?"  
  
    
  
"Yes, I suppose so.  It's a good time to see bad Quidditch at its best..." Cate sighed.  "The ends of the semi-finals are tomorrow.  Britain versus Hungary.  Personally, I say go Hungary..."  
  
    
  
"Well, way to show spirit for your home country."  
  
    
  
"Oh yes, I know.  But the Potters' team is playing for England, so naturally, I wish them misfortune."  
  
    
  
"I see.  Well the United States team has already gotten themselves into the championship game..."  
  
    
  
"Ugh...  Go Hungary!  Maybe some decent people will win the Cup this year!"  
  
    
  
"Well the Cup's in a week..."  
  
    
  
"I know.  I think I will judge this for sure...  Things can go the way I want them to...."  
  
    
  
"Oh, you're evil Cate."  
  
    
  
"Thank-you.  But you wouldn't like me any other way, right?"  
  
    
  
"Of course not..."  
  
    
  
Cate took one last bite of her toast, and gulped her orange juice.  
  
   
  
Contrary to the beliefs of most people, she did eat foods normal people did.   She sighed, and stretched yet one more time.  The dog was fed, the house was clean; everything was perfect.  She stood up and wrapped her arms around her husband.  Then...  The doorbell rang.  
  
     
  
"Ooooh...  Don't get it."  Bellum groaned, throwing a disgusted look to the other room, as if to blame it for the ringing of that doorbell.  
  
    
  
"I have to.  It might be important..." She said, kissing him quickly and pulling away.  She made her way to the door, followed by Bellum, who had been in a very good mood at the beginning of the morning, but now had settled to an irritable one...  Nothing was supposed to happen.  
  
    
  
When Cate pulled open the door, she faced a stout chubby middle-aged man, whose hair was starting to gray.  She gestured for him to come in, and he did, hugging her tightly.  Bellum glared at him.  
  
    
  
"Hello Mr. Santee, what brings you here?"  Cate asked stiffly, prying the man off her.  
  
    
  
"Ahh... Cate!  Looking wonderful darling, beautiful!"  Said Mr. Santee, with an American Accent.  Bellum made a face, and looked to Cate, who rolled her eyes.  
  
    
  
"Thank-you, I see you are aging nicely.  Hair is a bit graying..."  
  
    
  
"Yes, yes... I know."  Mr. Santee said quickly, going quite red.  "But we aren't here to talk about me, we're going to talk about you..."  
  
    
  
"Oh, fun."  Cate said, with sarcasm.  Mr. Santee missed it.  
  
    
  
"Yes!  Now, the Quidditch Cup..."  
  
    
  
"I'm judging.  In case you have forgotten, I'm not playing this year.  I'm still on a maternity leave, if you call it that."  
  
    
  
"Oh, I know dear."  Mr. Sanchee said, turning and glaring at Bellum, as if to blame him for Cate's absence in the Quidditch league. When Mr. Sanchee turned around, Bellum mocked him heavily, and made faces at him.  This made Cate smile.  
  
    
  
"Well, what do you want from me then?"  
  
    
  
"We need a Seeker."  Mr. Santee said quickly.  Before Cate could cut in, he went on.  "Reveny was injured in practice yesterday!  He won't be healed until next month!  We can't delay the Cup that long!  Cate, please!"  
  
    
  
Cate stared at him.  Behind Santee Bellum jumped up and down madly, mouthing, "No, no, no, and NO!" Mr. Santee looked at Cate with his misty blue eyes.  Cate showed no sign of emotion, and replied.  
  
    
  
"I can't.  I'm judging.  I can't do both."  
  
    
  
"Oh, but yes you can!  There's no rule against it!  And besides, wouldn't it be more fun to play!?  You know you want to..."  
  
    
  
"Also consider that I have not played for your team in.... Hm...  20 years give or take.  I don't know your players; I don't know your strategy, and I myself have not played in over a year.  No."  
  
    
  
"But yes you do!  You know the strategy of every other team out there.  You can play and beat any Seeker out there, even on short notice!  Please?"  Mr. Santee sighed, and pouted.  He didn't look the slightest bit cute, he was old, and fat, and ugly.  "You know Hungary won't beat Britain!  That leaves the Cup open to the Potters, if I have no decent Seeker!  You KNOW you'd like to beat them!"  
  
    
  
"Yes, but, I have not practiced.  I doubt I can run my feints properly, it's been that long."  
  
    
  
"Well, we can practice this entire week!"  (At this Bellum made a face, and buried his face in his hands.)  
  
    
  
"So I can judge and play at the same time..." Cate said, starting to reconsider.  She hated Americans, but she hated Harry and Meagan more, Meagan in particular.  "Things can go my way...  When's practice?"  
  
    
  
"YES!"  Mr. Santee said, visibly brightening.  "Mind coming now?  The whole team's here to see this semi-final round tomorrow, we can practice..."  
  
    
  
"Here.  I have a field in the basement."  Cate said.  "Sate of the art, top of the line...  Magically enhanced..."  
  
    
  
"Alright, 3:00 sound good?"  
  
    
  
"Yes, perfect.  See you later.  Goodbye, Adios, Astala vista...." she added, shoving a very happy Mr. Santee out the door.  Bellum glared.  
  
    
  
"What have I gotten myself into?"  She sighed.  
  
    
  
"That's what I was wondering.  I thought you were off for the year..."  
  
    
  
"I thought I was too."  Cate sighed yet again.  "But none the less, duty calls..."  
  
    
  
"Well, I suppose the road of life meanders as well..."  
  
    
  
"Better get Jack... Talk to my mother, and father, if he survives shopping with Felicity...."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Catie!"  Lizzie said, hugging Cate as she entered the house.  Cate felt she had been hugged a few too many times, and it was only the beginning of the day.  "What brings you here?"  
  
    
  
"Oh, the usual."  Cate said casually.  "Need a sitter for Jack.  I... Have Quidditch."  
  
    
  
"I thought you weren't playing this year..."  
  
    
  
"Well, I wasn't....  But I've taken an offer to play in the World Cup championship game..."  
  
    
  
"Catie..." Lizzie cautioned.  "You haven't played in so long!"  
  
    
  
"Well, I can deal with it.  Anyways, I've got practice.  Tonight, at my home.  I really don't think the kids should be around."  
  
    
  
"Oh, well, I think we can take them all.  Might have trouble getting Felicity out of the house.  I'm sure she likes to watch brutal Quidditch practices..."  
  
    
  
"Yes, but oh well.  Bellum can watch Lissy if she won't go.  I swear, she's a troubled child.  Top marks, gifted, but she's quite mean.  I raised her well..."  
  
    
  
"Cate..."  
  
    
  
"I was joking... We'll get her counseling or something like that."  
  
    
  
"Well, it's nearly 3:00.  You'd better go change..."  
  
    
  
"Alright.  I'll see you some other time!  Bye mum!"  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
    
  
Changing quickly, into a pair of sweat pants and white tank top, Cate pulled her hair back to add to it.  She looked a herself in the mirror.  She hadn't been in the best shape, since she hadn't been playing, but it'd have to do.  It was comfortable, and showed a slight bit of skin.  She felt this cooled her off during playing time.  She stretched for a few minutes, and appeared into he basement.  The rest of the team was there.  They were all staring at her.  
  
    
  
"Glad to have you playing this time!  This time you're on our side, not beating our Seeker to a pulp!"  A Chaser named Regina Reynolds said cheerfully.  Regina was jealous of Cate to almost extremes.  She said this in a taunting sort of voice.  
  
    
  
"Yes, but I'll still beat you if I feel like it Reggie."  Cate said, looking around the field with disgust at the other players.  She knew most of these people, and hated them with a passion.  She wondered, again, why she was doing this.  
  
    
  
"Ahh... Our start!"  Mr. Santee exclaimed, bubbling with excitement. "Cate, you remember everyone?"  
  
    
  
"Yes..." Cate said, scanning them all over.  Her eyes stopped for a few seconds on a man with sandy blonde hair, and gray eyes.  He was looking at her too, only in another way...  
  
    
  
"Hello Cate." he said, once they had started the typical warm up laps.  
  
    
  
"What do you want with me, Zach?"  
  
    
  
"Who said I wanted anything?  Do I need an excuse to talk to an old friend?"  Zach hissed.  Cate was looking at him with utter disgust.  
  
    
  
"Well, I'd say you need a pretty damn well good one."  Cate shot back.  "Especially if you consider yourself an old friend.  Sure, for a year or so you were, but you just couldn't take it...  Was I too much of a freak?"  
  
    
  
Zach had been one of Cate's friends when she was little.  He was the one that told every one of her powers.  The bad omens had gotten to him too, and he couldn't take being followed by evil.  Cate blamed him, with good reason, for her terrible years spent in America.   
  
   
  
Cate looked him in his cold, gray eyes, and sped off, to finish her laps before him.  He bit his lip.  It was funny how things always changed.  When he had known Cate she had been shy, quiet, sweet, and cute.  But she had those powers....  Those strange powers, though.  They scared the daylights out of him.  And it had been too much for him.  He was weak, and cowardly.  But now, Cate was the opposite.  In his eyes, she was the most attractive person he had ever seen.  And she was also the most famous.  He hadn't kept up with the press as much as he liked to, and didn't know all about Bellum, but he did know she had Jack...  
  
    
  
Cate whispered to the other Beater on the team, a young woman she didn't know, and they laughed.  The woman nodded, a piece of purple highlighted hair fell in her face.  Her hair was purple and black, her eyes were also a cold gray.  
  
    
  
"Cate!"  Mr. Santee shouted yet again.  Cate was sick of hearing her name.  
  
   
  
He trotted over, looking pleased.  "You're still fast enough, see?  Now, about those plays you use..."  
  
    
  
"Sorry Santee, my plays are copyrighted.  You cannot use them.  Only my team and I can.  You're out of luck..."  
  
    
  
"Well, just this once, can you teach our Beaters?  It's your play, you invented it...."  
  
    
  
Cate had several plays, and had placed an unusual copyright law on these plays.  No one was allowed to use them except her, and the Beaters on her Quidditch team.  She twirled her hair, and looked at the team.  Allowing the American team to use the play would mean a good amount of fame for Zach, who was a Beater.  But they couldn't use it after she was done with it...  
  
    
  
"If you use it...  No one will expect it...  C'mon...  You'll be even more critically acclaimed, and Harry Potter'll end up like he always does when he plays you...  In the dust." coaxed Santee.  
  
   
  
"Just this one time...  But if your team ever uses this play ever again, I sue you until you have no money... Every last one of you.  AND I'll make sure you never manage or play for a Quidditch team again..."  
  
    
  
"Very nice.  Thank you darling...  Can you teach the Beaters?"  
  
    
  
"If they aren't too idiotic, yes, I can."  
  
    
  
"Good!"  
  
    
  
Cate spent the rest of the time, which was challenging, since she was not a Beater, to teach the beaters their end of the Play. Zach stayed exceptionally close to her, Cate made sure to hit him a few times with a Beating Stick.  
  
    
  
Eventually, they got the play down and were allowed to leave.  Everyone left… that is except Zach...  
  
    
  
"Hey, what are you doing tonight?"  He asked Cate, who shot him a look that said quite sadly he was a sorry loser.  "I feel bad, about all those years ago.  We could be... friends."  
  
    
  
"Hmm..."  Cate said, pretending to consider it. "No.  It's impossible."  
  
    
  
"Oh, come on Cate!  You know-"  
  
    
  
"Starting to reconsider things now?  Now that I'm very well known?  Now that I'm a woman, and not a little girl?"  Cate shot before he finished his sentence.  
  
    
  
"Well, you're attractive, I'm attractive..."  
  
    
  
"Yes, you're about as attractive as that there piece of dirt.  Are you trying to imply something?"  
  
   
  
"Yes...  Well, to cut to the point-" he said, and he grabbed Cate and the waist, and attempted to kiss her.  
  
   
  
Cate had a reaction for this.  It was to kick the sucker as hard as she could... where it hurt the most.  She glared at him.  One sharp kick later, she finally decided to speak.  
  
    
  
"Do you live under a rock?  Have you heard nothing about me in the media? I AM married... I have children... Do you think I'd trade being with someone I love, to be with someone I DESPISE WITH ALL MY HEART? Now, get out of my house..." she snapped her fingers, and Zach disappeared instantly.  
  
     
  
She sighed and shook her head... This was going to be a long week...  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
     
  
The Americans were hosting the World Cup.  The whole Wizarding world of America was in a hysterical craze, because their team had made the championship.  This made Cate even more nervous.  Word that she was playing had gotten out, mainly to promote ticket sellings, and people mobbed her wherever she went.  But however, she was not nice to her fans.  If she was in a good mood, she might smile...  
  
     
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"You should have let her drown!"  Felicity said to Brynn, once she learned Brynn had saved Crystal.  
  
     
  
"Felicity!  Was that YOU that let that thing out, because you were mad you didn't get to go?"  Brynn said, suddenly stern.  
  
     
  
"No...  If it had been me, I would have made sure it would have drowned..." Felicity said, trailing off, mumbling to herself.  
  
     
  
"Evil child..." Brynn said.  
  
     
  
"Hello Brynn, long time no talk."  
  
     
  
"No! I haven't...  Hallucia!"  
  
     
  
The voice was once again back. Brynn groaned, as the voice babbled on endlessly...  It was entertaining sometimes, when she had nothing else to listen to....  But not when she was doing something.  She was watching the younger children.   Felicity was staring at Crystal across the room, and Crystal and Brian were staring back.  She decided to sit between them.  Ethan and Bryce weren't helping much either.  They had decided to give candy to the children such as Paige and Bridgett, and a few of the Potter children.  She sighed hopelessly, and sank down in her seat.  All the Blacks, all the Potters, all the Pugnares.... All crammed together in one large room.  
  
     
  
The adults had gone to a party.  It was a social thing, for the Quidditch players, and their guests.  Of course Cate and Bellum were there, as were Sirius and Lizzie.  But who could forget Meagan and Harry?  So they left their kids with Brynn, Bryce, and Ethan.  Mac wasn't there, as he had been forced to go to a family reunion with his family.  
  
     
  
"Shut them up Bryce!  Stop giving Bridge candy!  She doesn't NEED sugar!" she shouted.  
  
     
  
"Way to be boss." the voice said sarcastically.  "Shut them up."  
  
     
  
Brynn sighed, and waved her hand.  Everything was silent around her.  It was funny watching the chaotic scene with no noise, and trying to make out what Crystal and Felicity were shouting at each other.  The voice was humming some old tune, it had a habit of doing that often, and people were beginning to wonder why Brynn was sometimes herself humming strange tunes aloud.  
  
    
  
 "Well, I wish I could have gone with the adults..."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"I must parade around in public yet again...." Cate sighed.  She had put on another showy dress for the occasion.  It was a welcoming ball.  She was wearing a red dress.  But of course, since she was Cate, it was not an ordinary dress.  Actually, it wasn't much of a dress; it was more like a long piece of fabric.  Most of the front was exposed, which Cate like, she could show off her flawless body.  
  
    
  
"But they like it.  They like watching you.  Prepare... To be blinded!"  Bellum said, as he waited for the chauffeur opened the door.  "For the flash of cameras will be blinding!"  
  
    
  
He was right.  There was a fair amount of paparazzi at the upper class nightclub.  Important members of many nations were attending.  Cate felt this was a opportunity to show off, since she too was now very important, as the judge.  She would be seated with the most important people.  The red carpet cleared a path for them, many people commenting amongst themselves.  
  
    
  
"Can you tell us, who is your stylist?"  a reporter asked, Quick Quotes Quill already jotting things down.  "You look simply stunning!  
  
    
  
"I choose my own clothes, thank you..." Cate replied, moving along, arms locked with Bellum.  He himself was quite stylish in a sleek black tuxedo.    
  
   
  
Cate snorted.  She spotted Meagan.  Meagan was wearing a light blue gown.   It wasn't over-the-top showy, stylish, or expensive.  Cate rolled her eyes and wondered how she managed to get in here, and then remembered she played Quidditch... Not that she had forgotten, she just didn't want to think about it.  She had caught everyone's eye, and was proud.  
  
    
  
"Who invited her?" Meagan whispered to Harry.  "The strip Club was the other way...  She's certainly dressed-or rather undressed- for it...."  
  
    
  
But Cate didn't hear that, and it was a good thing she didn't either, she was in a bad enough mood as it was.  Zack was watching her closely across the room, a blonde woman attached to his arm.  When she saw him looking at her though, she gave him an electric shock in the back of his head.  That would teach him to keep his eyes (and every other part of his body) away from her.  
  
    
  
But she rolled her eyes and walked on.  There were loads of creepy people here.  She sat next to Bellum, Sirius, and Lizzie.  Sirius really didn't dare to talk to Meagan in front of Cate, who had more of a temper.  He also didn't know which side to cheer for in the Cup... So he decided to cheer for both...  
  
    
  
Cate sat among the most honored people, and laughed to herself, seeing Meagan with the not-so-important...  But sometimes the not so important were more interesting people....   Some were suffering from severe mental conditions.  Cate was pleased to see Meagan had landed a seat next to a man that thought he was half dog...  He drooled all over.  
  
    
  
The next event was a more casual social.  It involved a pool, hot tub, and people in swimsuits...  Cate took this opportunity to show off the red string bikini.  Cate was comparing herself to everyone else, and winning.  She snorted.  There were people in the hot tub. This was the time for her to sit and chat with people.  
  
    
  
"Oh, why hello Meagan, and Harry." she sneered.  "Lovely swimsuit darling..." She added rather nastily.  Meagan's suit was a sort of tankini, and was pinkish with stripes.  She looked at Harry and fought at laugh.  Her husband looked much better in swimming trunks.  
  
    
  
"You'd best watch that bikini of yours doesn't come untied..." Meagan commented.   
  
   
  
She thought Cate's swimsuit was slightly more decent than her dress had been.  
  
    
  
Cate stepped in the hot tub.  It was relaxing, and a good thing too, for if Meagan stayed there much longer...  The water smelled didn't smell of chlorine like Muggle hot tubs did.  This one was far better than that of Muggle ones...  
  
    
  
"Enjoying your evening?  We most certainly are..." Cate said smoothly.  "Wasn't that Minister from Ecuador interesting?  Oh, that's right... You were at the other end of the table..."  
  
    
  
"Yes, I was at the part of the table where people who look normal sit."  
  
    
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk...  So Bob the dog man is considered normal?"  
  
    
  
"Yes, he wasn't dressed like a-"  
  
    
  
"Watch yourself, Meagan, or you might find yourself disqualified form the Cup... That really isn't a way to speak to a judge..."  
  
    
  
Meagan glared.  She thought it was incredibly unfair that Cate got to judge, as well as play.  Well, she was going to beat her, and see her try and get the Cup back, buy cheating...  
  
    
  
"Come on Harry... We're going to the pool..." She muttered.  
  
   
  
Cate snorted.  She had won this round.  She fought with all her might not to laugh.    
  
   
  
"Well, Bellum, I have this to say:  You look better in swimming trunks than he does..."  
  
    
  
"Well, that's not saying much."  Bellum smiled.  He too was fighting a laugh.  
  
    
  
"Well, this evening has gone quite well...  Only one more social to go...."  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
    
  
"Mommy!"  Paige cried, running to Cate and hugging her, a lollipop stuck in her hair.  Cate glared at Bryce and Ethan, who shrugged.  
  
    
  
"Catie!"  Bridgett exclaimed, hitting Cate from behind, causing her knees to almost buckle.  
  
    
  
"Oof... Ethan, did you tell them to do that?"  
  
    
  
"No, of course not mother dearest..." Ethan replied, grinning devilishly.  
  
    
  
Crystal crept out of the room, clearly avoiding Cate.  She wasn't one of her favorite people in the world...  She had also been nice to Brynn that night, on account of Brynn saving her life.  She waved to everyone, and rushed to find her parents...  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
    
  
The second social was more pleasant, for Cate didn't talk to Meagan this time.  This game was discussing the match, and the match itself.  Cate was dressed rather normally this time, in a strapless black dress, with elbow length gloves.  Even though the dress was simple, she was still known for looking good...  
  
    
  
Even the pool issue was more fun.  Cate went swimming in the pool, which meant she had to have a better suit.  But she spent most of the time lounging about, a white cover-up skirt wrapped around her waist.  
  
    
  
This meant the end of the fun, and the real rivalry began...   The Quidditch Cup Final was a day away...  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Cate had struggled through practices with the revolting Americans, and managed not to kill every one of the men that constantly hit on her.  She let Bellum stand at her side and glare at them.  The coach was annoying, constantly complimenting her, and Zach was almost unbearable.  She had actually started wearing loser clothes, so the team didn't watch her.  There was only one other female, so half the time, everyone but the female Beater was watching her.  
  
    
  
"No Zach...  I told you...  I do not like you.  Keep away from me, before I get a restraining order!"  
  
    
  
She often caused a scene by kissing her husband in front of Zach, who left quickly.  But it really wasn't as bad as she thought it would be overall.  There were many opportunities to poke fun of Meagan.  
  
    
  
She found it simply spiffing that Meagan was actually starting to dress somewhat like her during the practices.  The small white tank and looser sweatpants...  
  
    
  
"Well, if you've got it, flaunt it."  Was her comment on this.  She smiled at herself.  The she gestured to Meagan.  "But if you don't have it....  Don't try to flaunt it..."  
  
    
  
Meagan had heard that, which was what Cate had intended to happen.  The next day, Meagan dressed like she usually did.  With Cate around, it was really no use trying to be better..  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"Well, today's the big day.  They've made such a big deal of her, you'd forget all about the Cup... But that's just an excuse for her, since she can't play Quidditch."  Meagan said to Harry in the locker room before hand.  
  
   
  
"But honestly, did she HAVE to get rid of the pre-game show?  What's it harming her any?"  
  
     
  
"She's worried it'll take off the attention from her." Harry replied.  
  
     
  
"Well, once she's beaten, she'll realize that was a bad idea..."  
  
     
  
"Well, good luck Chasing... I know you can do get by the Keepers easily..."  
  
     
  
"Good luck yourself," Meagan replied.  Harry needed it more than she did...  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
They all faced each other on the ground.  Meagan thought it was funny that Cate was shorter than everyone...  Cate didn't...  But Cate found it funny that she was the best flier.  
  
    
  
When the referee blew the whistle, the game began, and the all shot into the air.  Cate liked to stay by herself, on one end of the field.  She looked around, and scoped out the game below.  
  
     
  
It was supposed to be a long game...  But Cate was hoping it wouldn't be.  She caught Zach's eye, and made a motion.  He rolled his eyes and shot off after a Bludger.  Cate looked around casually, and suddenly, with a clever flash of her golden wristwatch shot off after something...  
  
     
  
The golden flash caught Harry's eye, and he too shot after it, (Whatever it was) then realizing there was nothing to be chasing after.  He was able to pull out of the feint in time to save himself from hitting the ground.... HA! He wasn't smashed by one of Cate's Feints!  But...  
  
    
  
WHAM!  A Bludger, sent a little late in his direction caused him to black out, and fall off his broom.  Now, seeing your husband plummet 60 feet in the air isn't something you just let happen...  Meagan dropped the Quaffle, and took off in a mad dive after Harry.  The Americans took this opportunity to seize the Quaffle and score.  
  
     
  
Cate was proud of this.  He had thought that since she wasn't with her usual team, he trademark play was gone.  It was exclusive to her as well...   
  
   
  
Zach smiled.  He had hit someone at least.  And the right person at that...  
  
     
  
Cate shrugged, and when no one was looking, Meagan made sure Harry woke up.  His head was quite bloody; she did something to him though apparently, because he was back in the air soon, much to Cate's dislike.  
  
     
  
Cate didn't do her Feint the rest of that game, in fact, she was relatively boring, but the crowd was still in hysterics.  Then suddenly the real Snitch whizzed by Zach's head, and Cate saw it.     
  
   
  
"Damn it!  He's closer!" she muttered, rushing at full speed to beat Harry.  She was faster.  But he was still in front of her, and closing in on the Snitch....  
  
     
  
She put on one last burst of speed, and cut in front of him, standing on her broom, and practically jumping to catch it before he did.  She was off balance.  She was going to fall... She shouldn't have stood up.... But she managed to pull herself back together.  She sighed, and waved the Snitch.  Slightly off timing, Zach managed to pelt another Bludger in Harry's direction, and to hit him. Though no major damage was done.  Maybe a few broken bones.  But then he did something rather unexpected...  
  
   
  
Cate smiled sweetly (If you call it that) at the crowd, sitting on her broomstick now, waving.  The glory was hers... The final score was 300-230.  
  
     
  
But...  Lo and behold what comes flying her way... Hit by the one and only Zach, in an uncontrollable rage again.  It hit Cate hard in the head.  Cate stood up, slightly dizzy, blood now covering her, and she was swaying back and forth.  
  
     
  
"That was a WRONG move..." Cate muttered.  She stood on the ground, the teams were all gathered, Cate standing by herself.  She still had to present the Cup... Things were NOT going to go the way anyone had planned...  
  
    
  
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"  She said, magnifying her voice.  "I hope you have enjoyed this World Cup...  And might I present to you:  The Winners!"  
  
     
  
She gestured to the Americans, all cheering.  She realized how much she hated them.  She hated them more than she hated Meagan and Harry put together.  Zach's sneering face, and how he had acted towards him.  
  
     
  
"Now... The Cup..."  
  
     
  
She walked towards the Americans, and changed direction.  She stood directly in front of Meagan and handed her the Cup.  The whole stadium fell silent.  
  
    
  
"Some things should be considered.  First of all... It is cheating to injure your Seeker purposely, and then get a better one... No, no, no ... Can't make the perfect team, and especially bother one who is OFF for the season... You cannot openly hit on this new Seeker, show her now affection whatsoever, and treat her like dirt.  I happen not to appreciate this.  You should have tried not to cheat fate and kept your Seeker.  Also, I merely do not like you, so I award the Cup to the British team, simply because they deserve it..."  
  
     
  
Cate turned once more to Meagan. "Enjoy your Cup....  And be happy I hate them all more than I hate you..." 


	8. The Chapter that Spells out REVENGE

Chapter 8 The Chapter that Spells Out Revenge  
  
   
  
Phase 1: Operation Ruin Cate's Life  
  
   
  
Meagan was now doubly angry with Cate.  First, Cate had almost destroyed her life by almost killing Harry and those she held dear, but now Cate had won the Quidditch Cup.  Meagan pondered for a moment and then remembered that Cate had killed someone she held dear…  Michael.  
  
   
  
She sighed and flopped down on the bed.  She had been up all night, thinking about all the turmoil Cate had put in her life.  Life had been good with the Marauders with no Cate to ruin her life.   
  
   
  
"Still up?" Harry asked, sitting up and looking at Meagan with his sparkling green eyes.  Meagan looked at him.  "Have you been up this whole time?" She asked.  He nodded.  "I was thinking-." He started to say, when Meagan cut in.  "ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO KILL CATE?" She asked in a loud whisper.  "No…" Harry said, shaking his head.  "I was thinking about the match.  I swear, there was something about that match that wasn't normal…"  
  
   
  
Meagan made a face.  "I would've sent her to Mars if she wasn't Padfoot's daughter…  that's exactly the place she belongs, the way she likes red so much…" She said.  Harry shook his head.  Meagan looked at him for a moment, took on a contented look for a moment, then her expression brightened and she grinned evilly.  Harry looked at her, pretending to be scared.  
  
   
  
"What is it?" He asked.  Meagan's purple eyes danced.  "Oh…  you'll see in the morning she said.  She got into bed next to him, laid down, grinned triumphantly, and went to sleep.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
Cate yawned.  A breeze ruffled her hair so she patted around for the blankets, and felt concrete.  She mumbled and rolled over.  "Bellum…  Give up some blankets, you hog."  She murmured, hitting Bellum in the stomach, making a loud slapping noise.  He grunted and said, "I don't got them…  you do." He said.  
  
   
  
Cate patted around and felt more concrete.  Wait a minute…  concrete?  
  
   
  
She sat up and screamed.  She was on top of a very large building.  She could tell it was in London, for the air was sooty.  She looked down and saw she was in nothing but a bra and underwear.  She glanced over at Bellum and saw he had only his underpants on.  
  
   
  
Bellum, hearing Cate's scream, sat up to.  He saw where he was and screamed.  Cate stumbled to her feet and looked over the edge.  People from the streets looked up to see her.  A few men with binoculars fixed their sight on her.  
  
   
  
Bellum came up from behind her, looked over the edge, and dragged her back to where no one could see them.  "MEAGAN!" Cate screamed.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"You didn't." Harry said.  "Oh yes I did." Meagan said, watching the screen and grinning.  "And believe me, this is only the beginning of operation Ruin Cate's Life."  
  
   
  
The two watched the happening on what looked like a big screen TV.  Meagan was laughing quite evilly while Harry watched in horror.  
  
   
  
"Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy!" Nita squealed, running into the room.  Meagan made the TV vanish and turned to watch Nita run around the room in circles.  She had apparently eaten too much sugar at the Black's…  and it was still going.   
  
   
  
"Mm?" Meagan asked, turning to face her daughter.  "Can I have more sugar?" Nita asked, bouncing up and down.  "I think you've had enough to last a life time…" Meagan said.  
  
   
  
Nita ran out of the room and then there was a knock on the door.  "GOT IT!" Crystal yelled from the living room, running to get the door.  A few moments later, she screamed.  
  
   
  
Cate walked in the room, messily dressed, her hair hanging in her face.  "MEAGAN!" She screamed.  "What?" Meagan asked calmly, getting off her seat.  "YOU DID THAT, DIDN'T YOU?" She hollered, blowing a piece of hair out of her face.  "No." Meagan said, "That was Zach."  Cate's eyes glinted gold.  She turned around and stamped out of the house.  "Me one, Cate zip." She said.  
  
   
  
"You did plan that perfectly, didn't you?" Harry asked.  Meagan only grinned.  
  
   
  
Phase 2: The Snake  
  
   
  
Meagan grinned and as she floated through Cate's mansion.  Meagan had sent Cate an invitation from "The Minister."  Now Cate and Bellum were dressing up, preparing to go and "meet" the Minister.  
  
   
  
Cate put her hair up in a bun.  "You look lovely darling," Bellum said, kissing her on the lips.  "Thank you." Cate said.  She patted her hair and prepared to leave.  They both disappeared and appeared in a dark alleyway.  
  
   
  
"Can't imagine why he wants to meet us here!" Bellum said.  Cate nodded.  Meagan, who was there also, clicked her fingers.  
  
   
  
"Well, it must be-!" Bellum stopped and began to make choking noises.  Cate looked at him.  "What?" She asked.  She was soon to find out.  
  
   
  
She screamed.  She started to run around waving her arms above her head.  She ran around cross-eyed, looking half-crazed, half-scared.  
  
   
  
A snake was making its way down Cate's forehead.  It wrapped itself around her forehead and she began to scream louder.  "BELLUM, YOU IMBECEL!  DO SOMETHING!!!" She shrieked.  
  
   
  
Meagan was having a time watching this.  She sat on a trash can, invisible to the naked eye, holding back fits of hysterical laughter as Bellum desperately tried to unravel the snake from his wife's forehead.  
  
   
  
Meagan appeared back home, satisfied with herself.  Harry took a deep breath, shook his head, and didn't say anything.  
  
   
  
Phase 3: Kick Me-I'm Evil!  
  
   
  
"Preparing for phase three!" Meagan said into a walkie-talkie.  "Meagan," Harry said, "I'm right over here." He gestured to himself, who was standing right beside her.  "You take the fun out of everything." She mumbled, disappearing.  
  
   
  
She was transparent again as she ran down beside Cate.  Meagan grinned and waved her wand.  A sign appeared on Cate's back that said, "Kick me-I used to be extremely evil and still have a tude problem."  
  
   
  
Someone walking behind her coughed, grinning behind his hand.  Cate glared at him.  The next person actually kicked her, but not very hard.  She turned around and scowled at her.  She walked along, her nose wrinkled and prepared to jump at any slight movement.  
  
   
  
Meagan threw a rock at a dumpster.  Cate stood still, listening.  Meagan rolled her shoulders back and flexed her legs.  Then, jumping onto one foot, gave one, tremendous kick.  
  
   
  
Cate howled and turned around.  She saw no one.  "Meagan, I swear, if you're out there, I'm going to get you."  Meagan waved her hand and words appeared in front of Cate.  "As I said, you still have a tude problem." And she disappeared.  
  
   
  
Phase 4: The Fartenator  
  
   
  
Meagan grinned evilly.  Harry shuddered.  "Not another one of your little phase things…" He said, groaning.  "Oh, yes it is, my darling.  Another phase!" Meagan shouted, disappearing.  
  
   
  
Cate was having breakfast with Bellum.  The kids were gone…  They were at Sirius's.  Meagan took Cate's spoon and pushed it off the table.  Cate looked at it and bent down to get it.  Meagan threw a transparent powder on her food.  She laughed and rubbed her hands together.  
  
   
  
Cate put the spoon back on the table.  She took her fork, put it in her breakfast, and took a bite.  
  
   
  
There was a sound like a raspberry and Bellum spat out his food.  "WOOF!" He said.  Cate gasped.  "Oh dear lord excuse me!" She shrieked.  Meagan couldn't help but laugh hysterically.  She leaned over and began to cry from laughing so hard  
  
   
  
Meagan laughed hysterically as she disappeared.  
  
   
  
(A/N-Meagan: Well, of course, it doesn't just happen once ::evil grin:: I'm getting Cathy back for all the evil things she did to Meagan (my character)…)  
  
   
  
Phase 4: Blue Dye  
  
   
  
Cate sighed.  "Bellum, I'm going for a swim, it'll calm my nerves!" She shouted down the hall.  Little did she know, as she got into her bathing suit, that Meagan had already dealt with the pool.  
  
   
  
Cate did a neat dive into the pool and splashed around for a bit.  Then, suddenly, her eyes began to hurt.  She stumbled out of the pool and groped around for a towel.  She rubbed her eyes out, looked in a mirror, and screamed.  
  
   
  
Cate was, from head to toe, as blue as the night sky.  She screamed some more, until Bellum came down and started to scream too.  Cate ran, her face buried in the towel, for the bathroom.  
  
   
  
Phase 5: Green Dye  
  
   
  
Cate took a shower directly.  She washed her hair thoroughly and tried to get the blue off, but, alas, it was magically done.  She ambled out of the shower miserably, and looked in the mirror again.  Of course, another trip to the mirror wasn't the best thing to do.  
  
   
  
She screamed again and pawed at her hair.  Her beautiful, dark, nice, lovely, brown hair had been turned green!  
  
   
  
Phase 6: Red Underwear  
  
   
  
"C'mon, Cate!" Bellum said, his teeth clenched as he tried desperately to drag Cate outside.  Cate struggled to stay inside, but it didn't seem to be working.  
  
   
  
Cate gave a small yelp as bright sunlight hit her eyes.  She made a face and hunched her shoulders.  Blue and Green weren't exactly her colors.  
  
   
  
Bellum held his arm out to her.  Cate put her arm in his and made another face at him.  As you, the reader, can probably guess, the ever-mischievous Meagan had already enchanted the clothes.  
  
   
  
Bellum had only made Cate take a walk with him so that she would calm down about…  the pool incident.  Of course, his plans were spoiled.  
  
   
  
The minute someone came into view that person burst into fits of hysterical laughter.  Cate scowled at him, but didn't know that he wasn't laughing at her green hair and blue skin.  He was laughing at the fact Cate was only in her underwear.  I blue and green person wearing red underwear in the middle of the street at noon is not something that happens everyday.  
  
   
  
Cate, the unknowing victim, walked around the rest of the day like this.  
  
   
  
Phase 7: Protection  
  
   
  
Meagan grinned to herself.  Well, this was enough payback for her.  She was now satisfied with herself.  But there was one more thing…  
  
   
  
She lifted up the protection amulet she had created using magic steel, steel that could only be made with the magical part of a meteorite.  She had formed its shape using the heat of the sun, making it more magical and powerful than the Imperious and Crucious curses, yet just about as strong as the Killing Curse.  
  
   
  
She opened the glowing amulet's glass container.  The glass was made of grains of sand and debris from the moon's surface.  She placed a lock of Cate's thick, brown, shiny hair inside it, and locked it with magic.  It was a magic spell that allowed no one else but a Potter or a blood relative to touch.  If someone else did, they would be petrified and see their greatest fear.  This spell could not be undone.  She did this by taking a component of the Avada Kedavra curse, of which made the spell irreversible.  
  
   
  
She put this spell around herself and her family, ensuring safety for all of her family.  Now no one could harm them…  Unless they used the Killing Curse.  
  
   
  
~*~  
  
   
  
"I WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN!" Felicity shrieked at Crystal.  Crystal looked coolly at Felicity, but her eyes gave her away, as they were red.  
  
   
  
"Well, you have your mother to blame for my being born." Crystal said.  Felicity spat at Crystal's feet.  "My mother would never." She hissed.  
  
   
  
"Yes, she would, it's your mother's fault."  
  
   
  
"How then."  
  
   
  
"When your mother stormed out on my father."  
  
   
  
"Tell me how."  
  
   
  
"My father saw my mother in the common room.  He sat over by her.  My mother told him a story.  My mother started to cry into my father's shoulder.  Then, they kissed and fell in love."  
  
   
  
"So?"  
  
   
  
"You're mother made them fall in love."  
  
   
  
Felicity stood shock still.  She couldn't believe it…  Her mother had put the Potters together?  
  
   
  
(A/N: even if you are completely and totally 100 percent confused… review anyways. Just let me know your thoughts! Is it funny, sad, good, bad? Just let me know. I'll hand out more cookies! **Sets out a box of cookies for all those who care to review** 


	9. Losing it Literally

Chapter 9 Losing It.... LITERALLY Cate was quite humiliated. Actually, she had never been that humiliated in her whole life.... And not only that, she didn't feel good either. Perhaps there had been something strange in the dye, or the Fart Powder... Of course Cate had gone to the extremes to figure it all out, and had succeeded. "Oh... I'll get her... I will..." She muttered, the dye had worn off finally. But she still didn't look so good. In fact, she still sat around all day in bed. Even Bellum was beginning to wonder about her. Ethan was rather suspicious too, especially after she had changed colors. "I think me mum's gone mad." He whispered to Bryce one day. "Look at her, she's blue, and walking around in nothing but her undergarments! And further more... Me dad supports it!" "Oh, it's okay... She's related to me too... But keep in mind that my immediate family is embarrassing too... Look at my parents... And my siblings.... Take Brynn and Mac for example... I mean, you go out in public, and pretend not to be related to her!" "But... Yours aren't half as bad. I'm related to them too. Maybe we're just not cut out to lead normal lives. We can spend all our time being insane like the rest of them!" "Hey, sounds like a plan to me..." ~*~ Cate had locked herself in her room. She let no one in. Not even Bellum. He tried to force the door several times, but didn't succeed. After a few days though, she stopped answering the knocks with a horrible scream and an object thrown at the door. Everyone in the household took this as a sign that something was wrong... "Ethan my son, we're breaking in." Bellum said, snapping on a pair of goggles and leather gloves. "Here, take this..." "Dad, a helmet?" Ethan said, his jaw dropping slightly. "Yes, you might need it. This is your mother we're talking about..." "Oh, right. I thought we were breaking into Jack's room..." Ethan said, with a strong hint of sarcasm. "Just... Come on... Hand me that crowbar... Very nice. Now... PUSH!" he grunted, prying at the door. "We aren't getting anywhere! Maybe you should ASK her to let you in!" "Hm... Oh I tried that. She won't answer. I think something's wrong." Ethan decided not to comment, and to focus all his energy on prying the very strong door open. He didn't realized doors were that strong. But then again, this was Cate's door... Finally, it popped open, splintering as well. He sighed, and watched for his father's reaction. At first, Ethan didn't see anything. Bellum had his eyes half-shut, and peered around the corner. Ethan held his helmet, and expected a table or something to be thrown at him. But he all he saw was Cate asleep wrapped in several blankets, sitting still on the bed. Bellum shook her once, and she didn't move. He felt for a pulse next, while Ethan stared. She was alive... looked quite bad, but still alive. "The hospital. We need to take her there." Bellum whispered. Cate woke up before they got to the hospital. She didn't do much, except mumble something and start to cry. She ended up passing out again, before they entered the building. She wasn't very heavy though, so it didn't take much for Bellum to lift her. She seemed considerably lighter, perhaps that was because she hadn't eaten much in the past few days... The doctor that examined her every month gave a frightened scream, and ran towards the lot of them as soon as he saw them. He had by now specialized on well... Cate. He knew her body, and how she reacted to things. He knew these even better than Cate did. "She hasn't had another breakdown, has she?" The doctor asked Bellum frantically. "As far as I can tell, she hasn't killed anything. She locked herself in the bedroom for three days though. I don't know if she's had anything to eat." "Well.... We must examine this to the extreme level. Excuse me mate, you'll be here for a while..." "Ethan, you stay here. I have to go home quick... The kids are in Felicity's care... Maybe care isn't the correct word..." "Just go dad. It'll be fine." "Alright..." Being able to take the quicker approach this time, he apparated. The first thing he arrived to was an empty house. There wasn't a sound. Something wasn't quite right. He marched hurriedly up the first flight of stairs to Felicity's room. She had Paige gagged and tied to a chair, while Jack was asleep on her bed. She was making some sort of potion, and when she glanced at Paige, she saw Bellum. "LISSY!" He roared. "What are you doing? Let your sister go! Now come on, we have to go to the hospital..." "Why? I don't WANT to go..." "You're GOING!" He sighed, and grabbed her by the hair, let Paige loose and motioned for her to pick up Jack. Felicity shrieked, and finally decided to cooperate. "Well what are we here for anyways?" she asked, not showing any signs of caring. "Brynn finally kill Bryce?" "No!" Bellum shot at her. He was pacing around the lobby nervously. "Your mum. In case you hadn't noticed, she had locked herself in her room for a period of three days... It has an effect on a person you know!" "What, mum can't handle being blue?" She chuckled. "She claustrophobic or something?" "No, we don't KNOW! Just show some expression... This is your mother!" "The mother that caused for a creature as horrible as Crystal Potter to come into existence..." She thought, and picked up an outdated copy of Witch Weekly. She sighed, and looked at the picture of her mother on the cover. Even for a magazine cover, she still had a way of looking immensely evil. "I hate my life... I hate my mum, my siblings... My father's not too bad. But he's a lunatic... They're all mad! Even grandpa and grandma! Look at Paige, the secretary's given her a lollipop!" She thought more to herself, all rather negative thoughts, not even noticing that her father had gone to throw up. Ethan fidgeted constantly in his seat, while talking nervously to a rather grumpy old man. "Oh, she was far worse than this. You should have seen him before Jack was born!" Ethan said, babbling on to the old man, who looked about ready to fall over and die. "He's a very nervous person you see. Especially when things come to my mother." "Who is this again, young chap?" the old man said with his raspy voice. "My father. Oh, I bet he's gone to throw up. Yes, that's where he is. That's my sister... That's my baby brother, and sadly.... That's my sister too." He said, pointing to Felicity last. " Ethan, can Jacky have a lolly too?" Paige asked sweetly. She looked as if she had about 5 suckers... She bounced up and down happily, messy pigtails bobbing about. "NO! He'll choke! Give me that!" he said, ignoring the man, who seemed to be coughing up a lung. He seized the orange sucker from Paige, who pretended to act sad. "But- The-the-the the lady said I was CUTE!" she sobbed. "Paigie! Look! Coloring books!" he said, pointing across the room. "Color me a picture of Padfoot!" "I can't draw doggy..." "Yes you can. The crayons are MAGIC!!! Are you all hopeless?" "You seem an awful lot like your father..." the old man wheezed, and got up to go to his appointment. "Oh, don't say THAT! Speaking of while, where is dad?" he was now talking to himself and looking around the lobby. A few women were goggling over Jack, and Paige was coloring, a yellow sucker now plastered in her hair. He gave the room a disgusted look and sank low in his chair, off to sleep... ~*~ Bellum heard a scream, as he came out of the bathroom, wiping at his mouth. Then he heard something hitting something else, and something shatter. Following the sound, he looked through the frosted window and sighted nothing except the forms of two doctors, and the unmistakable one of Cate. Thinking the door would be locked; he used all his might to push through. It was too bad his guess was wrong. The doors swung open easily, and he was flung to the floor, the doctors, who already looked terrified, now looking at him with a look of pity on their faces. Cate had seized a scalpel to throw at him like a dagger. He managed to dodge it, but barely. "Cate! It's me, your husband... calm down honey... " He panted, getting up off the floor. After living with Cate for so long, his reflexes were very good. He was used to objects flying at his head that were of assorted sizes, shapes, and danger. Cate dropped the tray she was about to throw like a Frisbee at him and started to bawl once again. The doctors took the initiative to leave the room while they were still alive. She looked at Bellum, sobbed even more, and took a breath, then continued sobbing. This was of course Bellum's cue to comfort her. "Whassamatter?" he said, hugging her, and letting her sob on his shoulder. "Baby..." she muttered. "You're pregnant?" "No..." "Then what?" "I lost the baby." "Jack? No, he's safe. Ethan has him..." "No!" Cate sobbed. "I WAS pregnant. I lost that baby... As in a miscarriage." "Catie.... I'm so sorry." He said, hugging her tighter. "It wasn't supposed to happen! If it weren't for that horrible incident. I told you all the details. The flatulent powder... I was allergic. My body can't handle being blue, and being allergic. Everything was fine... until..." "Oh Cate.... It's okay. It isn't your fault..." "I KNOW IT ISN'T MY FAULT!" Cate sobbed, hugging Bellum so he could barely breathe. "It's Meagan's. I should kill off one of her brats; make her see how it feels. To lose a child... I was only a few weeks along. But still, a life is a life." "No, no, no! Don't kill her kids! We can't cover that up..." "I wasn't serious. Too bad, too. I'd dearly love to see that oldest child gone... But I have revenge planned. This won't be good for her reputation as a goody-two-shoes... No, she shall be embarrassed in the society for this..." "What are you going to do?" "Why, tell the truth of course. I did nothing, really. She can't mention the Dark Angel of Light years... We're already got that expertly pinned on Dolere. I can't be charged again for it... Plus, she promised Sirius. The Marauders can't betray a promise to each other..." "Cate... you need some sleep, and something to eat. How long has it been?" "I had an apple yesterday... I didn't want... As stupid as it sounds, I didn't want you to see me, like I was. It wasn't pretty. Worse than when I was pregnant with Lissy." "I see... Well, I don't care how you look. I'll always love you... No matter what..." ~*~ "Alright.... Cate almost lost it again." Brynn told the voice. "You don't have to tell me. I know everything. She is a fascinating person. I wonder how she thinks." "Go pay her a visit. Annoy Cate for a while, eh?" "Sorry, can't do it. She's got a different curse. Not the dreaded voice..." "Well, bloody hell if I care! Leave... Me... ALONE! I'm sick of sharing MY mind!" "Yes, I love you too. But if you're going to be that way... I'll go visit Athena, I think she rather likes talking to me..." "Goodbye!" She jumped around madly. On the beds, the chair, the floor. Everything. Then she heard laughing, and a knock on her door. She faced Mac, who was fighting a laugh, and going quite scarlet trying to hold it in. "Oh, shut up!" "Hi Brynn, nice to see you today." Mac managed to say calmly. He shook his head, and went back to being relatively normal. "What's that door a few halls down? I've never seen that one before..." "Hmm... Must be Library day. It appears every Thursday...." "Anything good in there?" "Hm... A few things. It's mostly the Black family library. It's at Ethan's house occasionally. I don't know why it decides to come here come Thursday, but none the less... Want to see it?" "Sure. Lead the way, oh fearless leader..." "MAUHAHAHA... Follow me, my sidekick, the Spandex Tights man!" "Spandex Tights man?" Mac said, jetting off after Brynn. "Sure, even though I get a very horrible picture in my mind..." "Only if you're something like, 'Look at me I'm wearing hardly anything' Woman!" "Fat chance..." Brynn laughed. She pulled open the two large doors that Mac had pointed out, and waved her arms around. "Behold: The LIBRARY!" "Wow. Amazing." Mac said, not at all enthralled. It was a library. "Well, might as well look around...." There were several interesting books. One was titled "I'm not Crazy, Yes I am." But the one that appealed most to Mac was one he found quite funny. "How to Fall in Love with a Black and get a Black to Fall in Love with You." "Yeah, read the guide Mac. Ya might need it... Let me see it. I wanna read it before you do..." "Page one: Smart, Sweet, Funny, Evil, Seductive, Easy, Beautiful, Clever, Rich, These are traits common to those who belonging to the Black Family..." Mac read. "Oh dear..." "Easy, Brynn? I dunno, I didn't think you were-" "That never happened, remember! We officially erased that day from our memories." "It obviously did not work very well..." "Just shut up and read on..." They paged through the book, finding a few interesting facts, and useless ones to laugh at. At the end, much to their entertainment, the section feature a section about every member of the Black family there ever was. "Omigod!" Brynn shrieked. She had been around the Americans too long... "It's me... and YOU!" Indeed, it was a picture of Brynn and Mac. The book obviously grew, each time someone was born. It featured a lot of interesting facts... Such as who the member of the family was dating. In this case, Brynn's case, Mac was pictured next to her. "Oh look at what it listed... A list of all the people you've dated... or well..." "One-Night-Stand sorta thing?" "Yeah... Well, it's nice to know, that I'm the only one listed for you... So far." "And you've got only me. Well, you're special now. You've been in the Black Book thing here. Look at that... Athena was quite a tramp..." "Your sister! Cate... I'm surprised! She's-NOT!" "Nothing comes between her and her husband... She might look like a whore, but she really isn't..." "Well, moving on... I say we burn this book when we're done. We're listed as- Well... You can see the entry..." "Um... Yeah. Turn the page..." What happened when Brynn turned the page was rather interesting. She dropped the book and screamed. It was Bryce's page. And Bryce was still dating none other than Reina Cortez, Brynn's Greatest Rival, and enemy at school. She stared at the book with a look of great distaste. "Bryce Black... My own BROTHER! I never would have imagined! Reina... ARRRGH!! Mac, kiss me." "Why?" "Just do it. It'll make me feel better." "Erm..." Brynn didn't waist time; she pulled him off his feet, and into a kiss before he could react. She sighed, and sat back down, calmly. Not for long though... "What will I do with him? I should... What should I do?" "I dunno, let him live his life?" "WRONG ANSWER!" Brynn said, hitting the imaginary buzzer and making a buzzing noise. "Reina... I can't believe him..." "Me either. I thought with you being around he'd have more sense. Everyone fears you... Well, they fear you'll hit them... Or something evil like that... But, same difference!" "Slytherin... Why did Bryce choose to date a Slytherin? I bet that's where he is riiiiight now. With her..." "Brynn?" "What?" "You sound like a mother. A mother that's overreacting to the situation." "ARRRRRHHHH! I do! I've lost it." "Yes, just calm down... You can do it...." "I am calm.... I am serene... I am.... CRAZY!" ~*~ "I'm getting her removed from the Quidditch League. If she wants to play, she can play from some other poor country! i can present a good statement tot he head of the department... But I must invite the stupid wench along..." "Legally, Cate?" "Yes, I am not seeking my revenge by ways of magic. Good old Justice..." "Sounds fair enough to me... Still dressing in black?" "Of course." Cate hadn't worn anything but Black lately. She was in various degrees of shock and disbelief. Out of nowhere she'd randomly start to cry, and throw an object across the room. The whole family basically avoided her. With good reason... Cate was pacing around nervously, for she was going to talk to the Head of the Magical Games and Sports Department... He robes were black. Tight fitting, and barely any skin showed. Her hair was loose, all down, and in her face. She was still thinner than she had been before, but Bellum had forced her to eat greasy food to gain the weight back. She didn't like looking like a stick. She adjusted the robes once more, and appeared in front of a stout chubby man, with graying red hair. She bowed her head respectfully, and folded her hands in front of her gracefully. She was careful to address him in a soft, smooth voice. Seconds later, Meagan appeared at her side, as typical. This involved Meagan, she had to be here... Meagan was dressed as usual: very colorful and rather sloppy. She talked louder than Cate, and threw her a strange look. It looked like Cate had been to the far end of Outer Space and back. Cate nodded to show that she knew she was there, along with a glare, returned by Meagan. "What am I here for? " She sighed, looking at Cate and knew it couldn't be good. "You know damn well what you're here for." Cate glared. She was still talking softly, even thought her voice showed hatred. She then turned the man and addressed him. "She has taken revenge too far. I feel she's unstable for the League here." "Oh, look who's talking!" Meagan rolled her eyes. She COULDN'T be serious... "Can she not handle losing to me? No, I simply beat her team, AND gave their team the Cup! I try to be nice, and what do I get in return?" "You nearly killed Harry!" Meagan practically shrieked. "It is the game of Quidditch. Everyone is responsible for himself... I cannot take care of more than myself during the game. It's the strategy." Meagan growled. Cate's hair was in her face, as she kept her head down, still speaking softly. Cate continued on though... "Revenge can be insults, verbal attacks. I do not mind. But when it's something that is rather... Dangerous, things change. Perhaps before you poison someone, you should check to make sure they are not ALLERGIC, and that nothing bad will happen to them." Meagan rolled her eyes. She found it really hard to believe that people were actually allergic to her Fart Powder... But she wondered why Cate seemed so mad... She didn't think anyone had seen that one... "But my body happens to not be able to handle being turned blue, swallowing some of that disgusting water, and WHATEVER was in it... Doesn't do you good, when mixed along with that... Horrible stuff she sprinkled on my food! Especially when you're PREGNANT!" Cate said, almost breaking into tears once again. "You're pregnant again?" Meagan asked, breaking away from everything for a second. "NO!" Cate said, looking down once more. "I WAS, until that... powder, and swallowing that dye stuff! See, I was locked up for days, because I felt so awful. I went outside while I was BLUE! But see, losing a child is nothing you want people to comment on. It is not MY fault that someone decided to get revenge before taking precautions. Everyone else just comments behind my back... But no, not good enough for Meagan Potter.... I hope you feel nice, Meagan, that my child never had a chance to live..." By this time, Cate was crying silently. At first, Meagan thought it had been an act. But she noticed Cate was a small bit thinner, and looking quite depressed. Not even Cate could put on that act... She was a bad actress. But it really wasn't an act. "Sorry..." Meagan muttered. "No. Sorry will not cut it. I want her removed from the League." Cate said to the Head of Department. She wiped her eyes and looked up at him. "It's the worst display of Sportsmanship that Britain has seen in years. And they were even given the Cup. I didn't even do anything..." "Except practically kill my husband and show off, deliberately making me look bad." Meagan though. But this wasn't enough to get her removed, was it? "Potter, Pugnare..." the man finally said. "Neither of you happen to be perfect. No Cate, not even you. We all make mistakes. But however, Cate did nothing wrong. It is quite shameful for the country, when one player deliberately attacks another. I know you didn't mean any harm, but sometimes things go wrong. I feel that I have to agree with Mrs. Pugnare, and I hereby suspend you from playing Quidditch for England for the length of one year. I'm sorry..." "I hate you!" Meagan hissed, walking out of the room with Cate. Cate looked up at Meagan, her hair falling back and revealing more of her face. Her mascara was running, and there were already dark circles under her eyes. "You've never lost a child. Have you? You don't know the pain. You can feel it growing in you- and then suddenly, it's gone. It's the most painful thing. If you wanted to make me feel awful, you have succeeded. I hope you're proud, now that you have destroyed something close to me. Though I may seem like a heartless bitch to you, really, think it over before you act..." "Well, we're only even." Meagan said simply, not looking at Cate when she spoke to her. "Well, aren't you happy?! If you think you're still good, think again. That sunk to a lower level. You're no better off than I am. Enjoy your day." Cate said, then disappearing instantly. Suspended... Cate could have done better. She could play fro the Americans. They liked her there... But there was a slight feeling of guilt. Ethan was a good kid, and he was Cate's son. Paige was decent, a little on the odd side, but decent still. What would that baby have been? She forced herself not to think of it, and disappeared herself. ~*~ "That's right..." Brynn muttered in her sleep. "I'll get you! MWHAHAHA- OUCH!" She woke with a start. She had fallen off the bed. She groaned, and dragged herself back up, only to discover that it was morning... She groaned. She didn't feel much like dressing herself, so she waved her wand, and dressed by the magical means... Appearing at the breakfast table, she discovered that there was a actually breakfast. Eggs and Pancakes. It was good, and she savored every bite. She went to sit on the second floor balcony, for no good reason at all, except to sit in the sun and read her book. But she ended up dozing off... When she woke, she saw the sea. In fact, all she saw was sea! All she could see was the sea! (That getting annoying yet?) Then she realized she was in a boat. The boat was large, and not empty. She looked and saw Mac, asleep with his blonde hair being blown by the wind. A few feet over was Ethan, snoring heavily, and constantly rolling around on the floor. There was Bryce, who would have been the only semi-normal one, except for the fact that there as a girl that had dozed off next to him. Brynn let out a small-irritated scream, and made herself not pull all the wavy blackish- brown hair out of the girl's head... "Reina..." She muttered, not debating on whether or not to throw Reina overboard. She waved her hand-- and nothing happened. No magic! It didn't work! She stomped her foot on the wooden plank, and discovered that it was indeed, a real boat. This caused Mac to wake, and he looked around. "Where are we? I was asleep... No, I was washing the dog! Ernie! Devil dog! He transported us here..." Mac exclaimed. "No Mac, it was not your dog." Brynn sighed. "However I do not know why we are here." "I didn't expect you to... AHHH! It's- it's... Bryce... and- and-REINA!" He shrieked like a 10 year old that had too much sugar at a sleepover. He gave Bryce a good shove and added, "Wake up, before Brynn throws you both overboard!" "Wha- BRYNN!" Bryce said, rolling off his beach chair. He took a few deep breaths and tried to disappear. "Magic doesn't work!" "Well spotted. I'm proud of you Bryce... You've officially graduated from your first year... Someone wake Ethan up." "Well, it won't be ME!" Reina hissed, with her Spanish voice. She crossed her arms, and glared at Brynn, flipping her long wavy hair in the process. "Well, then I will..." Mac said, not wanting trouble to brew. He reached over the side of the boat, cupped his hands, and threw water at Ethan, who woke with a start. He wiped his face, and looked around with a groan... "We're all so HAPPY this lovely morning... er- Afternoon! Brynn and Reina on the same boat, and they're both ALIVE! Wow, cookies for us all!" "Shut up, before I hang you all from the mast..." Brynn muttered. Everyone fell silent. They all looked at each other and shrugged, and went about talking, Mac leaning towards Brynn, trying to calm her. "And that noise! That AWFUL noise! Make it STOP!" She shrieked. However, the boys didn't seem to notice it. Ethan made a sudden run for the edge of the boat, and Brynn grabbed him just as he almost threw himself overboard. She flattened him, and he stared up at her, dazed. "What was that?" he mumbled, half stunned. "I dunno... MAC!" Brynn replied, but before finishing completely, made a dive and tackled Mac, who was bending his knees to jump as well. "They've gone mad... ALL OF THEM!" "It's not my fault." Reina said, sticking her nose in the air. "Ahh!" she shrieked, as Bryce ran past her, only to be stopped by Brynn. "Reina, HELP ME YOU STUPID WENCH!" Brynn huffed, her hair going wild, and her eyes flashing the dangerous gold glint that the adults were all familiar with.... If only the adults were there... "Or they'll all throw themselves overboard!" Eventually, Brynn was able to coax Reina into sitting on Bryce's chest, while she steadied Mac and Ethan. She had practically knocked Bryce out, so he was still, and Reina's job wasn't hard. She took to bossing Brynn around, and demanding a drink. "You bloody moron! There are no drinks! There is no- no- NOTHING! We are in the middle of nowhere!!!" "Well start rowing! Or make... The guys!" Brynn grabbed a wand that had fallen out of Mac's pocket. She stared at it for a few minutes, while Reina shouted at her on and on. Finally, an idea came to her. She picked it up, and snapped it in half. Magic wasn't working in this place anyways... "What the Hell?" Reina stared at her. "Now you've broken the only wand in this Hell Hole!" "Shut up for a moment, and let me try this! In case you hadn't cared to take notice, magic doesn't work here anyways! MAC COME BAAAACK!" She paused once again to tackle Mac, who was halfway over the edge by the time she grabbed him. She pointed to a corner, and he crawled over, and sat there, like a three year that had been sent to the corner. "Now... Hmm..." she muttered to herself, picking up the broken wand. The boys were starting to fall asleep, probably from mere exhaustion, or numerous blows to the head. She placed the wand back together, and a hole appeared. Reina stared at it. "Come on, get the guys... Just roll the into it... It's the way out you stupid..." Brynn was muttering under her breath, and Reina was putting very little effort into rolling Bryce into the hole. But eventually, they got all three boys through, and went in themselves. They were back at the mansion. "How did you do that?" Ethan gaped. "Easy." Brynn grinned. "Two halves make a... WHOLE! See, then you go the HOLE and escape! Pretty clever, eh?" "I didn't know that was possible...." "Well, you learn something new every day. Funny how smart insanity makes you. That didn't make sense, did it?" "No." everyone replied. "I've officially lost it... again." 


	10. Neil's Birthday

Chapter 10 Neil's Birthday Meagan mumbled to herself. All the people Cate had killed on purpose. and now one death the good girl causes and it all crashes down on her. She was pacing around. Harry had found out and steered clear of her blood red eyes. She punched her fist into the wall, making a hole into Neil's room. Neil, the un-expecting getting changed boy, screamed. Meagan closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sorry, sorry," She said, fixing it with a wave of her hand. She walked along, snarling to herself. She sat in a chair along the wall to think. She was missing something here. Then, all at once, it came to her. "BY JOVE I'VE GOT IT!" She exclaimed, she and then chair falling over sideways. She seemed to have forgotten her powers for she ran out the door instead of appearing there. The door to Cate's house burst open, leaving the Pugnare family to sit and stare at her. Her hair was messier than usual and her eyes were yellow. "THE KID ISN'T DEAD!" She shrieked. The Pugnares didn't react. She looked from Ethan, who had his mouth open with his steak half-chewed, to Felicity, who was glaring. A piece of steak fell off Bellum's fork and splattered all over everyone's clothes, but no one seemed to notice. "HELLO! HEIR! RAVENCLAW! GRYFFINDOR! TWO LIVES!" She shouted, jumping up and down. Cate started suddenly to sob for joy. Meagan kept on gibbering, but then slapped herself across the face. Everyone was jumping up and down for joy. "I think I'm gonna go now." Meagan said, muttering to herself as she walked out the door. "I think I need my head examined." ~*~ Cate looked up from the letter and looked at the old abandoned house she was before suspiciously. "Now why would Dad want me here." She muttered, entering the old house. She shrieked. She was in a chair and her arms and legs were stuck. Meagan stood before her, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I hate to do this to you, but it's the only way you'll listen." Meagan said. This was it for Cate; she was never going to trust a letter again. Cate sat quietly, making no attempts to move, for she knew it was useless. "Okay." She said finally, "I'll listen." "Cate, well, you see. I don't know where to begin really." Meagan said, starting to pace, "Well, it starts with the Potter's death, really. You know what it's like when someone dies. You're totally heart broken. I wouldn't talk, I wouldn't eat, and I wouldn't get out of bed when they died. You couldn't get me to do anything! I was a useless lump. "Then after a few weeks Marykate brought me to my senses. It was after Michael had disappeared, and I just didn't know what to do. I was wallowing in self-pity and was grieving poor James and Lily's death. Well, Marykate told me to watch Harry, and perhaps it would take my mind off it. It did. Until Lizzie died. That hurt me more. "As I watched you and Harry grow older, my grief for some of my dearest friends' deaths seemed to ebb away. I had two living copies of them. Who looked and acted like their parents. I had lost Sirius as well as Lizzie, and to see his eyes in yours. well, it was relief as far as I can say. "Then IT told me to go to Hogwarts again. When it did, I was overjoyed. I would be seeing my best friends' two children. Well, when Sirius was back, I sobbed for joy. I had you, Sirius, Harry and all of your friends. I had friends. Then, you went evil." Meagan broke of for a minute to sniff. She was crying silently. "It broke my heart to see you killing people. You were like my child. And then Lizzie came back. My heart leapt and sank at the same time. I had my friend, but that friend's daughter was hurting people. I was mad. Mad at Voldemort, mad at my life, mad at you for giving into temptation. I couldn't help it. For all the grief I had endured over the years. This turning point caught me by surprise. "When James came back, I was overjoyed. When I got married to Harry, I was overjoyed. But that one thing always nagging at the back of my mind. the thing that told me that I shouldn't be happy. that I should be helping. It never went away. I still have it. I want to help you, Cate. You just have to forget the past. You have to see." Meagan broke off to sob a little. She regained her composure and continued. "Then, after Nita was born, I was found pregnant again. I was so happy. But then, it came out to be a stillborn. I'm an heir, so the baby girl was an heir, giving her another chance at life. She got that chance. Baby Harriet lived well for a few months, but then the unthinkable happened." Meagan turned away to sob into her hands. It seemed as though the dam in her chest had broken. "A Death Eater came in by night. I didn't know and still don't know how he managed to get in. I heard Harriet crying so I ran to see what was the matter. I ran in, saw the Death Eater, and screamed. I lunged for my baby and grabbed her. I turned to shield my child but he put the body-bind on me. Before my eyes, the Death Eater killed my baby. I remember the look on Harriet's small, innocent face." Meagan turned away. Her face was in her hands and her shoulders were shaking. Cate was almost to tears. She hadn't known. "I never told my other children about Harriet," Meagan continued, her face tear-streaked, "Crystal remembers something about the funeral, but when she asks me what it was I tell her nothing." Meagan's eyes were sea blue, a blue Cate had never seen them be. Meagan walked over to Cate and put her wet hands on Cate's smooth arms. Cate felt a shiver run down her spine as she felt the sorrow of so many deaths enter her skin from Meagan's tears. "Never." Meagan said, her voice shaking, "Say. that I. have ever experienced a grief. as large as losing a child." Meagan fell to her knees and sobbed at Cate's feet. Her shoulders were shaking very hard as she remembered that scene from so long ago. ~*~*~*~Flashback~*~*~*~ Meagan groaned as she heard a cry from the next room. She stood up and pulled on a semi-transparent robe that let moonlight shine through. She tied the delicate string around the waist and walked into Harriet's room. She screamed. The window was open. The curtains were billowing in the night wind. A man stood by the crib with his wand ready. Meagan dashed forward and grabbed Harriet. Her hair was in her face as she hurried across the room to get Harry. She held the wailing Harriet close to her chest. Her robes blew in the wind, making the scared look on her face beautiful. "Perfectus Totalus!" Came a shout from the Death Eater. Meagan fell to the ground, her arms and legs clamped to her side. Unable to keep a hold on Harriet, the baby bounced on Meagan's stomach. Meagan's eyes filled with tears, making her hair stick to her face. "Nmf!" Meagan said, giving a muffled shout. The Death Eater took Harriet by the throat. The baby wailed louder. The Death Eater's grip tightened. Now instead of wails, the baby was making gagging sounds. The Death Eater grinned as the baby's face contorted into pain. Now the Death Eater's hand was all the way around Harriet's neck. He loosened his grip and Harriet's neck fell limply to one side. Her eyes were hollow and they had no iris, as what will happen when a Potter with powers would die. There was a popping sound and the Death Eater was gone. Harriet's body fell to the ground and gave a sickening crack as her dead bones cracked. "NOOOOO!" Meagan screamed, though her jaw was clamped shut, "NOOOO!" ~*~*~*~Back to the Present~*~*~*~ Cate's eyes swelled with tears, even though she still hated Meagan. Meagan, her eyes full of tears, released Cate. Meagan turned and ran, leaving Cate to stand bewildered. ~*~ Today was Neil's birthday. Everyone was running around being hectic, but that was the way it usually was at the Potter's. Meagan ran around, waving her hands and decorating with large banners and crepe paper. Neil sat on the couch watching everything. He was a little scared, you could see from his eyes that were tinted with orange. Meagan looked at him and grinned. She remembered her 11th birthday as if it were yesterday. ~*~*~*~Another, yes another, flashback~*~*~*~ Meagan screamed and sat up abruptly. She clutched her chest. What a horrible dream! She had been at a place called Hogwarts, she had met four boys and made a group called the Marauders, one of them died. and. and. Meagan shuddered as she got out of bed. It was May 20th. her birthday. Her 11th birthday. Just then her mother ran in the door, looking white. "What!?" She exclaimed. Meagan waved her hand. "Nothing, just a bad dream." She replied. Well, it had been more of a dream. But she didn't know that just yet. "Oh, well, happy birthday." Her mother said, leaving the room. Meagan rubbed her eyes sleepily. Yawning, she walked over to the mirror. She looked in it and gasped. She stumbled over backwards. Her eyes were a dull gray! She looked again and saw that they were now electric yellow. She ran out of her room. She was just tried. yeah, that's it. tired. She pulled on her sweater as she walked down the hall to go downstairs. "'Morning, Gloria." She said to her cat as she walked past. "Good morning. Thank you for finally noticing." Gloria replied. "Your Well-!" Meagan started to reply, and stopped. Had the cat just talked to her? "I have some serious problems today." She muttered, walking quicker. She sat down at the breakfast table and sighed. What a day this was going to be. "Number 11, eh Meagan?" Meagan's father asked as he folded the paper. "Yep, good, old eleven." Meagan said, wolfing down her pancakes. She had always had a large appetite, but today she was famished. "Wow, you're hungry." Said her father, looking over the top of his newspaper. "Yeah, well, got to go, bye!" Meagan said, her pancakes done. She pushed the plate away and stood up. She picked up her backpack, which was quite large from all her homework, and turned to face her plate. She gasped. The plate she had just eaten from was. clean. She ran up, pecked her mother and father on the cheek, and ran out the door. She was in so much of a hurry she nearly bowled over her best friend Jenna. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jenna said, catching herself before she fell. "What's your hurry?" "Dunno." Meagan said, shaking her head, "Weird stuff." She shrugged her shoulders to lift her backpack higher and found that it was. as light as a feather. She shifted her weight and ran. "MEAGAN!" Jenna shouted, running after her. When they got to school, Meagan leaned against the wall and breathed deeply. "Meagan, are you seriously alright? I mean, you say you have mental problems, but do really think that roller blade-ing accident hurt you mentally?" Jenna asked, catching up with Meagan. "I have no idea." Meagan replied. The bell rang just then and Meagan ran. She felt like something triggered in the back of her leg. Immediately she ran faster than the fastest boys in the school. People stared as she rushed past them. Unknowing how to stop, she ran right into the door. Twitching, she stumbled backwards. She fell over into the hedge and sat there, dazed. Jenna came over and pulled her to her feet. "Something really weird is going on today." Jenna said. "You're telling me!" Meagan replied, tending to her bloody nose. The minute she touched it she felt something flow through her hand to the wound. She felt it healing itself. She quickly pulled her hand away. She ambled up to her classroom, her nose wrinkled and her mouth working. She looked over at the hamster cage absently. "Good morning, Meagan!" The hamsters said in union. "Jenna." Meagan said as she slowly sat down, "The hamsters are talking." "Hey," Said a voice. Meagan looked up and scowled. It was her pesky neighbor Marykate. Marykate gave her a look of equal disgust. "I was wondering if I could borrow a pencil." She said snobbishly. "Why don't you borrow one from one of your little friends? Oh yeah, I forgot, you don't have any." Meagan said. Her cheeks felt hot. Marykate gasped. "What?" Meagan asked, her cheeks cooling. "Your-your eyes! They were red!" She squeaked. Meagan handed her a pencil. "It better not have teeth marks on it when you bring it back." Meagan said. "O-okay!" Marykate said, her voice high-pitched. She walked away. She put her elbows on her desk and sighed. She had knocked one of her pens off the desktop. She reached down to pick it up and stopped. The pencil was shaking violently. Jenna stared at it. Meagan's hand was frozen over it, for she did not dare move. Suddenly, the pencil jumped up and went right into Meagan's open hand. She caught it, shocked. She raised her hand. The teacher called on her. "I got to go to the bathroom!" She said, and, without waiting for an answer, ran for the door. She reached out her hand to grab the doorknob and it flew open by itself. She ran down the corridor, her hand clamped to her mouth, and uniform flying as she ran faster than the fastest sprinter. She ran into the bathroom and one of the stall doors flew open. She ran in and was sick. Enough said. Jenna and the teacher (Mrs. O'Leary) ran in. "Ewww!" Jenna said, turning away. Meagan stood up, shaking, and wiped her mouth. "This is one birthday I won't forget for my whole life." She said. "C'mon," Jenna said, helping Meagan. Meagan refused to be helped but stood up. "I'm okay." She said, her knees trembling. She didn't know that it was her magical immune system starting to kick in. She stumbled. "I am okay." She said, standing up straight. She took a step and fell flat on her face. She pushed herself up and fixed her hair. Too much in too little time. Meagan thought. She stiffened her legs and strutted out of the room. Hours later. Meagan twitched in her sleep. She was having a fitful dream. She was running away from something. "HARRY!" She was screaming, "NO! HARRY! NO!" In the back of her mind she was wondering, who is this Harry I keep screaming about? She seemed older. About sixteen. Her hair was in her face and a boy (he looked sisteenish too) with black hair, glasses, and bright green eyes had his teeth gritted in pain. She ran over to him and sobbed into his chest. The scene around them disappeared and they were in a hospital. She had her hands raised over the boy's mangled and bloody leg. She closed her legs and felt as if all her power was flowing out of her and into her leg. She gasped and went black. She awoke to a bright white light. She was still in the hospital, and everyone was sleeping. She gasped as she saw herself on the hospital bed, looking pale and her breathing shallow. There was a whinnying sound and Meagan (the one that was awake) whipped around. There was a beautiful, white, flying horse in front of her. Her mouth dropped in awe. The horse whipped its tail. "Meagan Delmore." It said. Meagan felt its honey-sweet voice run down her spine. "I am IT. I am your creator. You have been given magical powers to help and heal the good and innocent. You have been given magical powers to help the misguided. You have been given magical powers to destroy all evil. You are not a simple muggle any longer, but one of the world's most powerful witches." IT flicked its tail and shook its silvery mane. "Take the oath of goodness now, or have no powers." Meagan's mind was racing. Should she, or should she not? Wait. She thought, realizing it was but a dream. It's only a dream. She suddenly knew how to say the 'oath of goodness.' She opened her mouth and began to say it: "I, Meagan Cassandra Delmore, take this oath to protect, help, and heal the good, to help the misguided, and to destroy all evil. I will not use my powers for evil. To hurt and mistreat others. I agree to what the oath says with seriousness, and not with foolishness. I will get three warnings before losing my powers if I do something bad, and I understand why I would lose my powers. I, Meagan Cassandra Delmore, am now in your service." She felt a rising feeling in her chest. She pinched herself on the arm. It hurt. "Oh my God." She said softly. She felt her feet lift from the ground. Then, a pain so fierce and burning swept through her. She screamed with agony. It was pain that she had never experienced before. She writhed in the air, her tortured scream echoing off the hospital room walls. Through her watering eyes, she saw that her fingertips were glowing. The light seemed to be seeping down into her skin, and spread through her body. She suddenly realized what she was feeling. She was feeling the pain of those who had been for good, the innocent, the ones for righteousness and light. But the light that was now coursing through her veins was now cooling the fiery pain. She felt her feet touch the ground. Not being able to support her own weight, she fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. "You will experience pain worse than you have just suffered now throughout your life, Meagan Delmore. Not physical pain, but the pain of loosing a friend. There will be others with you. by the names of Marykate Casper and Michael Shoemaker. I leave you here, Meagan Delmore. When you wake, in your bed, you will be a new person. Go and be well!" IT said. IT flapped its mighty wings and took off. Meagan suddenly felt woozy. Her eyes rolled into her head, and she fainted. ~*~*~*~Back to the Present. (Finally!)~*~*~*~ Meagan grinned. Oh, that brought back memories. Neil fidgeted. He had seen what had happened to Crystal. It had frightened him. He suddenly screamed. A golden mist encased him. Meagan looked up to see what he had screamed about. She smiled to herself. Neil had just come of age. Neil screamed again. He felt power coursing through his veins. His hair blew around him when what looked like a tornado of golden mist surrounded him. He fell to his knees. Joanne, Jessica, Crystal, Nita, and Harry ran into the room. The twins gasped in wonder and awe. Crystal put her hands on her hips and grinned. Nita stared at him blankly. "Neil?" She asked softly. Meagan never remembered this part of getting her powers, but that was probably because she had been asleep during it. Neil covered his ears with his hands as a loud ringing sound went buzzing around him. It was then he got his special power, as Marykate, Meagan, and Michael all had one power that was different from each other. Neil's eyes became wide and yellow, when. ~*~ Neil groaned. He lifted his head off the ground. He wiped the drool off his lower lip and stood up shakily. A white light blazed his eyelids and he flung himself to the ground, covering his eyes. When the light died away, he looked up and saw IT. Neil's mouth dropped open. Meagan and Crystal had always gone on and on about how beautiful IT was, but IT was much more beautiful than he had expected. He started to drool as he looked at the gleaming silvery-white flying horse. "I am IT." IT said. Neil still gaped. "I am your creator. You have been given magical powers to help and heal the good and innocent. You have been given magical powers to help the misguided. You have been given magical powers to destroy all evil. You are not a simple muggle any longer, but one of the world's most powerful magical persons. Take the oath of goodness now, or have no powers." Neil knew exactly what his decision was. He opened his mouth and said the 'oath of goodness': "I, Neil Nathan Potter, take this oath to protect, help, and heal the good, to help the misguided, and to destroy all evil. I will not use my powers for evil. To hurt and mistreat others. I agree to what the oath says with seriousness, and not with foolishness. I will get three warnings before losing my powers if I do something bad, and I understand why I would lose my powers. I, Neil Nathan Potter, am now in your service." Neil felt his feet lift from the ground. He screamed as pain rose into his chest and filled his whole body. It was more painful than he had expected it to be. He twisted about, thrashing his head from side-to-side. His whole body shook as the pain of all good people came down upon him. It felt like hot knives were piercing his very skin. Through his tears he saw that he was glowing. The light spread rapidly throughout his body. When it was finished, he landed on all fours like a cat. He stood up, quaking from head-to-toe. IT looked at him with a little shock under those dark eyes. IT went on one knee. "Go well, Neil Potter, and live well." IT said. With one sweep of ITS mighty wings, it pushed off the ground. Neil started to tremble harder. Having no strength left in him, he collapsed. Slowly the world dimmed and darkened. He at last gave up on griping onto his consciousness, and fainted. ~*~ "Neil!" Came a shout. Neil opened one eye groggily. "Neil!" Nita shouted. Neil sat up. with a little too much strength. He flung himself over the edge of his bed and onto the floor. Nita smiled, relieved. "Welcome back." She said, grinning. She patted him on the back. He looked at her blankly. ~*~ Cate ran out of the doctor's office, grinning. Bellum picked her up and swung her around. He put her on her feet and kissed her gently. "How's the baby?" He asked. "They say the baby's going to be fine!" Cate said joyously. She patted her belly fondly. She had been in the hospital for two days, being tested on to make sure the baby was all right. She also found out it was to be a girl. Cate threw her arms around Bellum's neck and kissed him. "Mom! Dad! Stop it! Stop! No, don't kiss in public-! You're so embarrassing!" Ethan was shouting. Cate sighed. She pushed Bellum away gently. "Let's just stop to make him shut up." She said, smiling, "After all, he's going to be a big brother again." Ethan sighed as his parents stopped kissing. But then, he thought, they were probably going to do it again sometime soon. ~*~ "ARE YOU READY?" Meagan shouted, standing at the foot of the stairs. 'Yes.' Meagan heard the reply in her head, although it was feeble. She grinned to herself. Neil was practicing. Neil and Crystal appeared downstairs, their trunks loaded. "What's the use of a wand if we don't need it?" Neil asked. "They teach you with a wand at Hogwarts, that's why." Meagan said. "Come on, come on, the train leaves at eleven." She said. She patted Neil on the head, making his hair messier than it already was. "HARRY!" Meagan shouted up the stairs. Harry appeared at the top, dragging his own trunk. He was going to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Meagan pointed at it and it was a light as a feather. Harry pushed his sweaty bangs out of his eyes. "Thanks." He said, walking down the stairs. He stopped at the bottom, took her by the waist, and kissed her. "Yuck!" Both Neil and Crystal said turning away. "Oh c'mon, it's not that bad!" Meagan said, grinning. "One day your hormones will kick in and you'll find yourself kissing men." Crystal made a face. "Me? No way! Yuck!" She said. Meagan only laughed. Everyone piled up into the magical van that the Potter's owned. Meagan always drove because she had a license. but that wasn't always the brightest thing to do. Meagan was a maniac driver, but she never got into an accident. She was almost as bad as Sirius, but not as bad. he was way worse. Meagan swerved into King's Cross Station at five minuets to eleven. Everyone ran out and went through the barrier. Everyone was there. the Pugnares, the Blacks, the Weasleys, the Flagnares, the Malfoys, Blick, and many others. Everyone was hectic. Joanne and Jessica got caught sneaking onto the train, Nita got lost (though Meagan strongly suspected she did it on purpose), Neil and Crystal got on the train before saying goodbye, and Harry had to give Meagan one last, long kiss before he went away. Finally, everyone did get on the train, even though Joanne and Jessica were caught trying to sneak away to Hogwarts again. Neil sat by his lonesome. He sighed. He knew no one his own age. Suddenly, someone stumbled in through the door. It was a girl. Her messy blonde hair was in her face and her red baseball cap was on backwards. Her brown eyes were sparkling. She was a first year, he could tell. She grinned at him. "Hi. I'm Rachel. Rachel Yellington." She bowed to him. Neil grinned shyly. "I'm Neil Potter." He said. Rachel gasped, her hat falling off. "You're a Potter!? I've heard so much about them!" She exclaimed. She dropped down and picked up her hat, putting it back on. Neil eyed her up. She was wearing a green shirt with a thick, messy black jacket over it that was tattered and weather-beaten. She was wearing army pants that were way too big for her. She looked like a tomboy. "Yeah, I'm a Potter." Neil said. Rachel sat down with him, her messy blonde hair reaching for the window. "Wanna be friends?" She asked. "Er- sure." Neil said. Rachel reached out a hand. Neil looked at it. It was very dirty. Her fingernails were very short and had a lot of dirt under them. Neil took it and felt his arm being shook roughly. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minuets!" A voice echoed through the train. Rachel grabbed her hat. "We gotta change, dude!" She said. Neil smiled and decided he liked Rachel Yellington. They got changed. Rachel wore her red cap under her witch's hat. It looked strange, seeing the red visor sticking out from behind the hat. Neil snickered at it behind her back. The train slowed and stopped eventually. "Firs' years! Firs' years!" Hagrid called. Neil looked up sharply. He had heard a lot about Hagrid from his father. About his eyes like little black beetles, and his long, wiry black hair. Neil saw Hagrid and grinned. Now instead of black, his hair was white. It was still wiry and his eyes were the same. "HAGRID!" Came a shout. Neil looked around and saw his dad fighting his way through the swarming children. "GULPIN' GARGOYLES, HARRY!" Hagrid shouted. Harry came up to him and gave him a hug. "Wanna come with us?" Hagrid asked. Harry nodded eagerly. Neil and Rachel were led with the other first years to the lake. They got into a boat, followed by a boy and Pandemonia Flagnare. Pandemonia had black hair, like her sister. She had the same eyes, and the same look. She was pretty much a living copy of Malicia. Hagrid and Harry (with some difficulty) got into a boat. It ended up that Harry had to sit on Hagrid's lap. When the boats turned a corner and saw Hogwarts, screams and gasps went up. "Wow." Rachel said. Neil nodded. "My dad," he nodded towards Harry, "He's shown me pictures of when he and my mom were kids. They all have Hogwarts in it." Then went under the cliff and into the cave and were greeted by Professor McGonagall. They were then led to the Great Hall. Everyone screamed and gasped again. Some pointed to the ceiling, others whispered to their companions, and some didn't do anything but stare. They lined up according to last name and waited for their names to be called. Pandemonia was called first. The hat had barley started to descend onto her head when it screamed, "SLYERIN!" Others were called before, "Potter, Neil!" Whispers broke out among the hall. He gulped and sat down on the stool. His father winked at him and Crystal gave him thumbs up. He looked at Rachel before the hat slipped down over his eyes. "Well, well, well, another Potter! Another one of the Gryffindor bloodline! How are you doing today, young Potter?" The hat asked. Neil jumped. "Erm-fine." He replied shakily. "I see a great amount of bravery in there. yes, hmmm. some knowledge, you're very courteous, and, well, all I know is that Slytherin would not suit you." Neil waited patiently as the hat carried on. "Yes, let me see, here's the house for you." The hat stopped before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!" Neil gave a relieved sigh and sat down next to Crystal who patted him on the back. Fred and George were catcalling over at the Ravenclaw table, while Brian grinned and clapped loudly, whistling also. Neil waited until Rachel was called. The hat screamed, "GRYFFINDOR!" for her too. She sat herself down next to Neil. "Yes!" She said. Crystal grinned. 'Is she your little girlfriend?' She mind-waved to him. 'No! Now get out of my head!' Neil replied hotly. 'Ooo. A little aggressive there, aren't you?' She said, her eyes purple. Neil humphed. When the feast was over, everyone trudged to bed. Rachel pulled off her witch's hat, revealing her red baseball cap. She yawned. "Well, see ya later Neil," She said with another yawn. She shuffled up the girl's dormitory stairs. Neil tried to stifle a yawn, failed, and went up to his own bed. There he fell down and didn't bother to get changed, for he was snoring in the next thirty seconds. ~*~ "Hey honey!" Meagan said, walking down the hall towards Harry. "Meagan?" He asked. Meagan grinned. "Yuppers!" She said. Suddenly there were two people behind them. Two people Meagan did not want to see. Cate stood glaring, while Bellum gave both Meagan and Harry an apologetic look. Little did the four know, Felicity was the one who had planned this. She wanted to get Meagan in front of her mother. She also wanted Meagan to be hurt before her husband's eyes. Well, little did Felicity know, Crystal was hovering over her. Felicity raised her wand. Crystal tensed her legs. Felicity started to say the spell. Crystal kicked. "Flichus Kragy-ACK!" Felicity howled. Her wand arm swung and the spell came bounding out. It hit Cate. Bellum dived forward to catch her. Cate fainted. The spell bounced off her and dived for Meagan. Meagan, facing the other way, turned around in time to get a face-full of the spell. Harry ran forward to catch her. Being the youngest Seeker in a century (still) he caught her. Bellum and Harry looked at each other. They both looked to where the spell had come from. Felicity ambled out, looking very guilty. There was a popping noise and Crystal stood next to her parents. Harry jumped. "Don't do that!" He said. He looked between her and Felicity. "Explain." He said shortly. "Well, I caught Felicity trying to curse Mom. I kicked her arm when she said the spell. It's her fault." Crystal said, pointing to Felicity. Felicity made a face, the gold flecks in her eyes flashing. "Is this true?" Bellum asked, giving Felicity a look. "Well, Crystal's friend can read minds so there's no way to hide it, I did. It's her fault it hit Mom! She kicked me!" Felicity said, now pointing at Crystal. Harry and Bellum sighed. Harry gave him a look that said, "They fight like their mothers." Bellum gave him a look that said, "You're telling me?" Harry and Bellum conjured stretchers and floated their wives to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey screamed when she saw the two girls. "NOT AGAIN!" She shrieked. "WHAT DID THEY DO TO EACH OTHER!?" Harry looked a Bellum. Bellum looked at Harry. "They didn't do it to each other," Harry explained, "Their daughters did it." He glanced over at Crystal and Felicity. Madame Pomfrey followed his gaze and saw them. "Oh, they've been here before. Lots of times. Especially after 'Crystal's Crushers' won the Junior Quidditch Cup last year." She said. Harry grinned proudly at his daughter. "She has the family talent." He said, nodding, then muttered, "Along with other 'talents'." Then, abruptly, Meagan sat up. Her eyes were bright yellow with shock. "What? Where?" She exclaimed. Cate didn't wake up but lay still. Meagan's eyes traveled over to Cate's body and she gave a muffled squeak. "BELLUM!" Shouted Cate's voice, coming from Meagan's body. "Uh oh." Meagan's voice said from her own body. Harry and Bellum looked at each other and screamed. "THEY'RE IN THE SAME BODY!" They yelled in union. "They're gonna kill each other!" Harry said, starting to pull out his hair. "They'll hurt each other!" Bellum yelled, hopping up and down. Madame Pomfrey sighed. "I was afraid this was going to happen. They can only get out of the same body if they agree on something... Without it being an argument." She said. Meagan and Cate gave another muffled squeak. 'Oh great, I'm stuck with this wench.' Cate thought to herself. 'Same to you.' Meagan said in reply. Cate gave a gasp with a little groan. 'You can hear me?' She asked sadly. 'Sure can. Now not even my thoughts are going to be mine anymore.' Meagan said, glaring. ~*~ Meagan played with her hair. She was going out with Harry and Bellum today. Cate had forced her into a small, showy Chinese dress with matching high- heel shoes. She had a flower in her hair. Cate was now playing with Meagan's hair too. 'I can't believe I'm stuck with you.' She said privately. Meagan wrinkled her nose, 'I agree.' She replied. The thing with the spell on them said that only if they agreed on something without it being an argument. Until then, Cate controlled the right half of Meagan's body. Meagan had it in her mind that she wasn't going to walk the streets in the dress she was wearing, so she decided to walk there in Animagi form. Meagan adjusted the necklace she had gotten from Harry on Valentine's days in their 7th year, and attempted to transform. Her form shuddered, wavered, and stopped, unchanged. Cate scowled. "What? I'm just going to be in Animagi form!" Meagan said. "No." Cate said flatly, "I will not be a filthy cat." Meagan tried it again. Her form shuddered and wavered again, but nothing happened. "Fine, I won't." Meagan said. "Finally, you agree." Cate said. Meagan abruptly transformed. Cate, caught off guard, was forced to transform too. "OHMIGOD!" Cate hissed, the hair on the back of Meagan's cat-Animagi form rising. "I thought you said no!" "Do you honestly think I'm gonna walk around in this? I only do when I'm with Harry, reason number 1. Reason number 2, I don't usually go out into public like this!" Meagan said, flexing her claws. She looked at the door, which opened slightly. She slipped out the door and went out into the street. Harry and Bellum had gone along without the, because Meagan suggested that she and Cate would probably take a long time getting changed. Meagan and Cate pattered gracefully down the street. Meagan would put her whiskers forward in a smile whenever people pointed and squealed, "Look at the pretty kitty!" She met Harry down near the restraunt they were going to eat at. "Somehow I knew you were going to come this way." He said, grinning. Meagan put her whiskers forward. They walked down into an alleyway and Meagan transformed back. 'Finally!' Cate said. Meagan snorted. "You look wonderful." Harry said, eyeing Meagan up. "Thank you," Cate said out loud, "I chose the clothes." Meagan rolled her eyes. "Well, you are in Meagan's body, Cate." Harry said. Cate made Meagan scowl for a moment before Meagan could completely take control again. Harry put his arms around her waist. 'What are you doing?' Cate asked as Meagan put her arms around Harry's neck. 'No, you are not going to kiss him while I'm in your body.' Cate said, but it was too late as Meagan kissed Harry gently on the lips. Harry kissed her back. The only reason Harry wasn't at Hogwarts was because it was the weekend and Dumbledore said he could. Cate roughly pushed Meagan and Harry apart, using Meagan's strength. Harry was flung backwards, landing in a puddle of mud. It got his white tuxedo all brown and he made a face as he waved his wand to clean it. "C'mon," He said, taking Meagan by the hand and leading her (or them) to the restraunt. ~*~ Meagan sat down on her bed and flicked the radio on. She listened to the muggle radio station sometimes, to listen to what she used to like. "And next is 'Don't Let Me Get Me' by Pink!" The DJ said. Meagan grinned to herself. but wait, that was kind of impossible. "I never win first place, I don't support the team, I can't take directions and my socks are never clean! My teachers dated me! My parents hated me! I was always in a fight, cause I can't do nothin' right! Everyday I fight a war against the mirror! I can't take the person staring back at me! I'm a hazard to myself! Don't let me get me! I'm my own worst enemy! It's that you would know yourself! So irritating! Don't want to be my friend no more! I want to be somebody else!" Cate snorted. "Isn't that right?" She asked. "L.A. told me, you'll be a pop star! All you gotta change is everything you are! I'm tired of being compared, to damn Brittany Spears! She's so pretty! That just ain't me!" Meagan sang with her honey-sweet voice with the radio. There were many differences between Meagan and Cate's voices. Cate had a high, sweet voice that made you believe everything you said. Meagan had a low, honey-sweet voice that would make you listen to her. There was another large difference. Meagan could sing very well and Cate couldn't. Whenever Cate tried to sing, her voice would get croaky. Meagan, however, had been begged by many people to be a famous singer that recorded CDs and albums and be on the radio. She had refused though, because her true love was Quidditch. "Doctor, doctor, won't you please prescribe me something? I'm playing the life of someone else, cause I'm a hazard to myself! Don't let me get me! I'm my own worst enemy! It's that you would know yourself! So irritating! Don't want to be my friend no more! I want to be somebody else! Don't let me get me! Don't let me! I'm my own worst enemy! It's that you would know yourself! So irritating! Don't wanna be my friend no more! Doctor, doctor, won't you please prescribe me something? I'm playing the life of someone else! Don't let me get me!" Meagan sang again. Cate hissed angrily. 'Show off.' She said. Meagan listened to the interlude before singing again: "I'm a hazard to myself! Don't let me get me! I'm my own worst enemy! It's that you would know yourself! Yourself! So irritating! Don't wanna be my friend no more! Wanna be somebody else! Don't let me get me! Don't let me get me! Wanna be somebody else!" Meagan ended the song with the radio. Cate humphed. "I think that song is totally true." Cate said. Meagan could tell she was seething. She grinned. "Well, this is going to be interesting." She said, sighed, turned the radio off, and went to sleep. 


	11. Back to Fool School

Chapter 11 Back to Fool (School) Sleeping was quite an ordeal. Cate had no trouble sleeping really; she took to the usual flopping around, as if expecting Bellum to be right beside her, then rolled around on her stomach. This made it impossible for Meagan to sleep; hence Cate was in control of sleeping habits for some odd reason... Needless to say, Meagan didn't sleep. Cate seemed normal, though the left side of Meagan had a dark circle under her left eye. Cate was determined to make the right side (the side she had more control over) look better than the side Meagan had more control over. "I never realized how completely awful you look in red..." "Ha, ha funny... That's the only color you know. Are you colorblind or something? I mean literally... Seeing Red..." "No, you're just jealous..." Cate hissed. "I've got a color that looks best on me. You seem to have tried many times to find yours..." Cate chuckled, looking at Meagan's colorful wardrobe. "Too bad they haven't made one that looks right on you yet..." Meagan chose to ignore that comment, and drag herself and Cate down to breakfast...With Harry. Cate was sick of seeing so much of Harry. To prevent another kiss, she kept Meagan as far away as possible. When Meagan kissed him, it was partially her too... She could feel it, and in her opinion, Harry was a bad kisser. "We've seen enough of him today. We've seen enough of... AHH! One of your revolting children!" "Hello Jess." Meagan's voice said. "Ugh..." Cate's voice added. "I'm Jo." Jo said. "Sorry, Jo." "Uh... Mum, is there something wrong?" said the confused girl. "Oh no..." Cate said. "I'm just sharing this here demented body with your mother..." Jo grabbed some cold cereal and a bowl, and took off. A few minutes later, she realized she had forgotten milk, and scooted back into the kitchen, where she found Meagan and Cate arguing about what to eat. "I don't like cold cereal! It's disgusting..." Cate complained. "Well, I don't want pancakes. Harry can't make pancakes..." Meagan added. "Well, if he made them, I wouldn't eat them anyways. I won't eat unless-" "Oh big threat. If I eat, then we're both full... Besides, there are MY taste buds anyways..." "Ugh..." Cate growled. She could see a few children watching out of the corner of her (Meagan's) eye. But forced to eat cold cereal; Frootloops, she was trying to forget everything. "We spend the day at my house." she ordered. "We spent the whole day with Harry pretty much yesterday." "That's because Bellum avoids me. That has to include you this time, because WE'RE IN THE SAME BODY, MORON!" "So, I can still see him. We look at Mr. Ugly all day, because he happens to live in this house! I want to see MY husband for once!" "Why would you want to do a thing like that?" Meagan asked sarcastically. "Well, he's better looking." "Oh contraire..." "I mean really, I'm scarred for life after the pool at the World Cup! SWIM TRUNKS! How horrible was THAT?" "You just don't see Harry the way I do..." "That's disgusting... Ugh... You must have a highly active imagination to have to look at him, and all the other stuff that you generally associate with being married to him..." "Fine. We'll make camp at your house today." "Can we sleep on my bed? It's loads comfier!" "Isn't there someone called Bellum Pugnare that occupies it?" "Well, it's not like I'd let you sleep with him! I'll have him sleep on the couch... Er... One of the couches..." "Well then, that's great." After another scene deciding the clothing for the day, they managed to get out of the Potter house. Meagan felt very strange. Cate was still determined to make her side look better, and she had succeeded. The make- up was much better on Cate's side. Cate was an expert with beauty products, having used them most of her life. So her make-up wasn't balanced, and looked quite interesting.... No knock was required. Cate let herself and Meagan in, and found the house silent. Of course it was though, Felicity and Ethan were at school... It was always quieter without them. Bellum was sitting on the floor, playing with Jack and Paige. Marie and Dominic were also there, entertained by Paige. "Eeeeeek!" Paige squealed, wondering why Meagan was once again at her house. The last episode had scared her... Dominic and Marie followed her. Bellum shrugged, and sighed, looking skeptically at Meagan/Cate. "Erm..." "Yeah, I'm still here too..." Cate mumbled. "Sadly." Meagan added. "Well, what's on your fascinating agenda for today?" Bellum asked, moving up to a chair with Jack, who was making an attempt to get away. "Aw... he's adorable..." Meagan cooed. Bellum stared at her, then at Jack. "Looks like dad." he said. "I should hope so..." Cate remarked. "Imagine if he didn't..." Meagan heaved a sigh, and tried to catch up on sleeping. This didn't work well. Cate was wide awake, and talking to Bellum non-stop. This was going to be a loooong day... ~*~ It was another quiet night in the common room... Or so they all thought. Brynn, Bryce, Mac, and Ethan were all out. It was ten times quieter than usual but... Crystal, Brian, Fred, and George were still there... Felicity was absent, as well as Blick. "Peace and quiet! HA!" Crystal laughed. "I find it very hard to believe that Neil is your brother..." Brian said, looking over at Neil, who had a book propped open. "Me too!" Crystal said. "He's far too quiet..." Fred threw a firework across the room, and grinned rather innocently. He pointed to George. George pointed at a random person a few yards away. Crystal didn't care who threw it. All she knew about it was that it made a loud noise, and exploded. There was the excuse to start the chaos... ~*~ "Headmaster, sir?" Felicity asked Dumbledore a bit after the feast. Blick was right by her side. Her voice was also sweeter... Ten times sweeter. "Ahh... Yes, Miss Pugnare? Mister Blick?" Dumbledore replied, his misty blue eyes meeting Felicity's deep brown ones. "I'd like to ask you something. And then if you reply the way I hope, I'd like to make a request." "Shoot away..." "Is it possible to... Switch houses? Isn't it possible that the Sorting Hat can be wrong?" She said this very fast. "Take me for example. I was put in Gryffindor, just because I'm along the bloodline. But I think I belong in Slytherin. Just listen to me! Please? I know the only reason I was placed in Gryffindor is because I'm related!" "Miss Pugnare..." "No, I can't focus there! I know it isn't right! I can't do it! Everything is strange, and weird! Please, I know I'll do better in Slytherin!" "Let me finish my sentence..." Dumbledore sighed. He started again once Felicity had stopped babbling. "You have a point, but the Hat hasn't even been wrong..." "Well, there's a first for everything! Gryffindor just wanted his heirs to stay in his house. He didn't want Slytherin getting hold of them! I'll bet you that none of my family has been put into any other house but Gryffindor!" "I must admit you are persistent. That is exactly the way that was supposed to work. Do you want to be in Slytherin that badly?" "Yes. I'll never ask for another thing!" Felicity choked, sounding desperate. "Then I cannot stop you. Mr. Blick, I suppose you'd like to go with her?" Blick nodded. His black hair was shiny, and looked as if it were constantly being hit by light. His dark eyes were shining now. Felicity tossed her hair. Her eyes were glinting, as her mother's eyes did. She grinned like her father did, though managed to look less innocent... "We're off to Slytherin... We've done it!" Felicity said, actually jumping for joy in the hallway. She made sure no one saw that... "No more Creepy Crystal!" "Exactly... Why does life suddenly seem so much better?" "Because it is?" "Good point, we need to find Ariana and Malicia!" ~*~ "She's WHAT?" Brian, Crystal, Fred, George, Brynn, Bryce, Mac, and a few Gryffindor bystanders all practically shouted at once. "Switched to Slytherin." Ethan shrugged. "Maybe Dumbledore felt sorry for us all... Now the Slytherins have to put up with her... And that Blick." "Lucky them..." Crystal half-laughed. Truthfully, she was happy. This was one of the best things that had happened so far in the entire time she had been in school. In fact, the whole common room looked happy. There would be a constant better mood, and they wouldn't have to put up with her sitting around and glaring at everyone any longer. That was all she was good for in Gryffindor anyways. ~*~ "Do you contradict everything I say?" Meagan shrieked. "No." Cate replied. "There, you did it again!" "No I didn't!" "Yes you did!" "No I didn't! "I said you always contradict me, and you said you didn't and you DO!" "I do not understand what you just said so I'll just... disagree." Meagan happened to say that very fast. C ate didn't understand her. "If we keep going on like this, we'll always be stuck like this!" "No we won't... I'll kill the both of us before that happens..." "Stop it!" "I wasn't doing anything!" "Yes you were!" "Now look who's contradicting..." "Just stop talking." "No. I happen to like talking." "SO do I... Let me think of something we agree on!" "We don't agree on anything." "Yes we do!" "No, we don't. We just don't mix..." "Stop acting like your father..." " I am NOT acting like my father!" "Yes you are." "Am not." "Are too!" "AM NOT!" "Yes you are! C'mon... I know Sirius. He acts like this all the time. He's impossible..." "No-" "STOP IT!" "You stop it." "I think your bed is more comfortable. You were right." "But it's hard to sleep when you're TWO PEOPLE!" "Just AGREE WITH ME!" "What? I was being honest." "Too honest. This is not the time to be honest. Lie. Lie like you've never lied before! Just agree with me!" "Mother says lying is bad..." "Your mother... ARGGHH..." Cate thought it was funny. Even though she had to put up with it too, it was fun making Meagan squirm. She could be annoying too... This is where being Padfoot's daughter came in handy... But she still missed her body. This is it... I'm sick of this!" she said. She concentrated with all her might on her body. She was going to possess her own body... and get them both out of this mess... But it didn't work. There was some sort of strong force field surrounding her. "Dammit! Damn, damn, damn, damn, DAMN! Your turn Meagan..." "Oh... Um... damn?" "Very good. That helped a lot." "I bet it did." "In cease you didn't notice, I was trying to ESCAPE!" "Yeah, I noticed. It hurt my head." "Good." "Thanks. I appreciate pain a lot..." ~*~ "Do you ever wish we led normal lives?" Bellum asked Harry thoughtfully. They were sitting in a small pub, discussing things over drinks. Bellum was staring at Meagan/Cate, who were arguing profusely-again. "Nah, that'd be boring." Harry replied, looking at his half-empty drink, and then gulping the rest of it. "Good point Mate." He paused after that for a second, then continued on. "But don't you ever wish they weren't..." He looked over to Meagan/Cate. "Enemies?" "It would make like a lot easier. No daily rant about how much Meagan hates Cate, and how much Crystal hates Felicity... Are we the only people in these families that get along?" "Aye. It seems that way." Both men shrugged. "Barkeeper, we'll have another round, it's on me..." "Look at them." Meagan said. "Drinking. They do look rather miserable..." "No, I think they look perfectly happy actually... Look, after a few more dinks they'll be really happy... Then that's the time to get them out of here before they remember they have wives... That are in the same body." "Hey, Cate, we're talking out loud." "Oh. Well, they'll think you're schizophrenic, not me." "Great... Wonderful..." "Hey... those two remind me of something... This isn't my body! This isn't my pregnant body... BARKEEPER!" "Oh dear..." "Look at them again, they're fighting..." Harry sighed. "I'll put 20 Galleons on Cate..." Bellum said. Meagan's right side threw a punch at her left side. The left side punched back. Entertained bar customers watched eagerly. No one tried to do anything. Wait- no one wanted to do anything. Nasty comments being thrown, Bellum and Harry began to wonder what had started the fight. But in the end, the body was... unconscious. There was no telling who had won... "That your wife?" The barkeeper asked. "Yes." Harry and Bellum answered. The Barkeeper stared. "I've seen my fair share of loonies here, but this almost tops the chart... Schizophrenic woman with a husband for each personality..." "Oh, not really. See, my wife is trapped in his wife's body." Bellum said. "His wife is trapped with her." "I won't ask... I never should have in the first place, Blimey!" "Good idea." Harry and Bellum sighed, picking up Meagan/Cate to take home... The left side of Meagan had more bruises. The right side had more scratches. Bellum and Harry didn't clarify a winner, and just kept their money... ~*~ "Dominic, No!" Marie shouted. "This is Uncle Sirius's house!" "So? He is our Uncle..." Dominic grinned. He had a bird in his right hand, and something in a black box in the left. He had dark brown eyes too, like most of the other people in the Black family. Marie, however, had blue eyes. His hair was lighter brown than most of the other members though, because his father was practically blonde... "Mum'll be mad! Doooooooominiiiiic!" Marie shouted, jumping in attempt to catch the bird and the box. "Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!!!!" "Marie, what?" Athena shouted from the kitchen. She was having a long discussion with Sirius and Lizzie, along with Ryan. "Dominic let the bird go, and the box, and-" "Dom... What was in the box?" Athena said, cutting Marie off. "You'll see. I suggest you.... TAKE COVER!" Dominic shouted, diving behind the large sofa in that particular room. Something had exploded. Not only that, but there was a runny black liquid all over everything. "It worked! I achieved covering the whole room!" Dominic danced around, covered in the liquidly black substance. Athena stood there, disgusted, and Marie looked ready to cry. Athena wiped some of it off her face and smelled it. Then she tasted it. "Melted licorice, Niccy?" She sighed. "Yeah... Start cleaning up Marie... You can lick it off the floor!" Dominic said, looking rather pleased with himself. He looked around with satisfaction and nodded. "Yup... Think Uncle Sirius'll be proud?" "Dominic, this isn't funny... It would have been okay if it had been OUR house..." Athena glared. Then she smiled mischievously. "Really? I think you could have done better. I should make you clean it though... I can think of better tasting candies..." Right then and there, the door burst open, and Meagan/Cate skidded in, slipping on the floor, nailing Dominic with the door, and sliding into Marie. Bellum and Harry skidded in too, but they each managed to stay on their feet. "The twins aren't around... What caused this?" Bellum asked, looking at the melted licorice. "Dominic..." Athena replied. Dominic sat up, and rubbed his head. Harry had already pulled up Meagan/Cate. Bellum took this opportunity to look around for Ryan. "I'll be in the Kitchen..." he said, speeding off. " Fine." Cate's voice said. "What is this... Oooh.... Licorice!" Meagan said. "Disgusting... That was on this floor! No, don't put it in-" It was too late. Meagan had taken a taste of the licorice. Not that this tasted awful to Cate, the taste buds still being Meagan's. But Dominic was staring. "Erm... Aren't you Meagan?" he asked, his mouth open slightly. "Don't stare Nic." Athena scolded. "Yes, that is Meagan... Speaking of which, why are there two voices?" "Because I'm trapped in here. Her head." Cate's voice answered. "I'm Cate... remember me?" "Erm... yes. Sirius is in the kitchen, if that's why you're here." "Do you need help with this?" Meagan's voice asked. "No. I can wave my wand and clean the mess nicely..." Bellum seemed to have clarified the situation to Sirius, Lizzie, and Ryan all. "Hello Megan- err- Cate- Erm... Cate and Meagan." Sirius said, a little confused. "Hello," responded one cheerful, and one annoyed voice. The annoyed one was clearly Cate's; the cheerful one belonging to Meagan. "Do you know what's become of my body?" Cate said, before Meagan had a chance to start a pleasant conversation. "Hospital darling..." Lizzie said. "Being watched by the usual doctors..." "We're off!" Cate said, appearing at the hospital before Meagan had a chance to do anything about it. The doctors gave them a funny look. Cate looked around the room. She saw her body and sighed. "I miss it. I never realized how beautiful I was... Until the first time, when we actually switched bodies... Now, I miss my hair, my eyes, and all the other lovely aspects of... me." Meagan snorted. "Don't be so humble, you're not that great." "Yes I am. Who are you to contradict me? Let's compare ourselves right now...." "No thanks... I'm just fine. So are we here to stare at you?" "No, we're here to see what's happening to well, me." "Wonderful..." "Doctor..." This led to a very lengthy explanation of everything that had happened, and why Cate should get her own personal information. It turned out though, that it was like she was sleeping. The baby (which had gone through a lot now, before it had even been born) was still fine. "Got any ideas for names?" Meagan asked dully. "Not really." "It's a girl, right?" "Yes..." "Call it Jacklyn." "I don't like that name." "Why?" "Because I don't." "Nice reasoning, Cate." "Why thank-you... At least my kids aren't called Crystal, Neil, Jo, Jess, and Nita!" "Well, yours are called Ethan, Felicity, Paige, Jack, and whatever you decide upon for this one..." "Well, I happen to like what I named my children." "I like what mine are called..." "Well fine." "Your husband is called Bellum though." "Yours is called Harry!" "At least it's a normal name..." "A very ugly normal name... Besides, Bellum means something in Latin... I forget what it means. he told me a long time ago... I think it means fight..." "Well, that's lovely. Fight. Just what..." "Oh, just shut up." "You sound like me now..." "Don't say that either, because I don't. No one can be that demented." "I can name a few to start..." "I bet you can..." Cate said, with a slight tone of sarcasm. This was really getting to the both of them, and neither of them wanted to be the one to agree with the other. But they both wanted to get out. "Don't you just think red is the best color?" Meagan said rather stupidly, wanting it to end finally... "Not on you." Cate retorted. "Fine. Be that way. We'll just stay like this." "I already told you I'd kill us before that happens." "Exactly. Then that would be the rest of our lives. I want to at least have my own thoughts and such." "Good for you." ~*~ "Fight, fight, FIGHT!" chanted most of the Great Hall. There were two people fighting between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables... Two certain people... "Stop stealing my look!" Brynn shouted, pulling hard on the other girl's hair. "I wasn't! It isn't MY fault we wore the same thing on the train yesterday!" the other girl, proving to be only Reina, shoted as she dug her fingernails into Brynn's arm. "Yes it is. I saw you shopping! After I bought my clothes, you went in and bought identical ones!" "Well, I bought mine first! I had to return and get a different size!" "FIIIIIIIIGGHT!" echoed still the bystanders. Brynn wasn't really listening anymore. She was a lot stronger than Reina, and wasn't going to take this any longer... She was a year younger, and a whole lot brattier... She threw a punch and hit her hard in the nose. "My nose!" Reina cried. "I think you broke it!" She took a few quick breaths, and kicked Brynn as hard as she could, but missed. "Yeah, that's good." Brynn grinned (yeah, that rhymed... I know...) and appeared a few feet behind her, tapped her on the shoulder, and appeared back in front of her. This time she wasn't quick enough to dodge all of Reina Cortez throwing herself at her. She was knocked down, and with an "Oof." She struggled to regain her breath... "Oh God." Mac and Bryce muttered when the caught sight of Brynn and Reina. "Brynn!" Mac scolded, pulling Brynn off Reina. Both girls were scratched up quite badly. Reina's nose was deformed-looking, and one of Brynn's perfect teeth had been moved... "Let, me at her..." "No! No more fighting, get up, before one of the Professors comes..." Once Mac and Bryce had steadied Brynn and Reina, they took them off separate directions. Reina was still shouting that she was reporting Brynn to Professor Snape, and Brynn was shouting profuse words at her. "I swear, I'm gonna..." "Calm down... You're alright..." "She's evil... She should be disposed of... Not really that, but removed from school anyways..." "Brynn! Just try and get along." Mac said, ducking the punch thrown at him. "She IS Bryce's girlfriend..." "Well, too bad. I hate her, she hates me!" Brynn was starting to think that the advice the Voice was throwing at her was useful... mostly ideas for curses and violent hexes. The Voice could be good for something... She cackled aloud evilly, and Mac looked at her funny... "I think I'll go erm... Do my homework... That I er- left late... Bye, bye!" he said rather fast, and took off. This left Brynn alone with the voice to plot what to do to Reina... ~*~ Meagan sighed. At least she thought she did... Now it was hard to tell if it was she or Cate doing some things... She was losing her mind... It was starting to become Cate's! "How about we just agree to disagree." she sighed. "Sounds good to me. We might as well just accept the fact that we're different, no argument." "Fine with me." Maybe it had been the fact that they were half asleep, or that they were going insane, but they had agreed on something. Yes, Meagan and Cate actually agreed. Cate appeared across the room, in her body. She looked down at it, and actually did jump for joy. "MY body! MY body! MY beautiful body! I have it back! I missed it so much! Well, bye, I'm out of here to clear things at the hospital as fast as I can!" "Er... Bye." Meagan secretly danced around, singing, until Harry came in and noticed her. "She's GONE! She's got her body back, now we can go back to our LIVES!" She laughed, rather insane-like. "That's great..." Harry smiled. "Nice to have life back to normal... If you call it normal..." ~*~ "This is a cause for a celebration, darling." Bellum said to Cate. She had just gotten back from the hospital, and was changing from the ugly light blue robes she had been put in. She still didn't look pregnant; it had only been a few weeks. So she didn't feel the need to dress for it... She was in the process of changing. Her top laced all the way up, and her pants were red (typical) and quite tight. "I just put my clothes on... Do I want to take them off so soon?" Cate responded. She had to smile though. "Sorry, I've been around Meagan too long, I was getting used to being the annoying one..." "That's fine..." Bellum half-laughed, shaking his head. Cate smiled, and stood up, after pulling on her last sock. She sighed, and put her arms around Bellum's neck. She moved her face in, and stood on her toes slightly, so her eyes were right in his. She could see herself in his eyes. She closed her eyes and kissed him softly. "That's a bit more romantic, don't you think?" she asked softly; her voice barely a whisper. "Yes indeed, though it didn't take much to top the goofy stage..." Cate stopped the talking by kissing him again. He responded to this quite well with another kiss. "Remember our first kiss?" Cate asked then again, starting conversation. "Oh yes, very clearly." he smiled, and flopped them both over on the bed. "It was awkward... I was actually rather surprised you didn't reject me..." "You were weak..." Cate chuckled. "That little kiss..." "Hey, you have to give me a break... Believe it or not, that was actually my first kiss..." "Oh, no way!" "I was locked up in that castle all my life, with Dolere and Facere as company, can you blame me?" "Well, no... But I still think-" "Well, I'm better now," he chuckled, kissing her again. "Yeah. I was." "I was a bit doubtful... You know, the 'take it slow we just met' kind of thing..." "Well, it didn't end up slow, did it?" "No." Bellum sighed. "I mean we- well..." "I don't take things slowly... I decided I liked you... You liked me... Alone... In a rather empty castle... Empty room..." "Hmm... Sounds a lot like now..." "Why, could you be getting at something?" Cate grinned. "Oh look, you top laces up... But even more fascinating... It unlaces!" he exclaimed suddenly, giving the string a tug... "Hey... You are one weird guy... But I love you-" 


	12. Only Me

Chapter 12 Only Me "Why do you read so much!" Rachel yelled at Neil. Neil was munching on a beagle while reading the book, Hogwarts, A History. "Because I want to know the basics before we begin." He replied, not looking up from his book. "Have a doughnut." He added. A doughnut floated over and hung in midair an inch away from Rachel's face. "I've already had twelve!" She said, closing her fist around it. When she tried to pull it out of the air, it resisted to even budging. She tugged on it again, having the same result. It was causing quite a scene. Rachel pulled on it again, and Neil released it. Her arm came flying down and she hit herself in the stomach. "Hey, dawg!" A voice said. Neil looked up and saw Fred. Fred sat himself down next to Neil, followed by George. "Ahh! It's the book to top all books!" George said. Rachel gave an exasperated sigh and flung her arms into the air. "What's up with everyone and Hogwarts, A History!?" She asked. Crystal appeared sitting next to Rachel, making her give a little frightened squeak. "Don't do that!" she said, waving her arms in the air. Crystal only grinned at her. "What's the first class?" Neil asked Rachel absently. "Defense Against the Dark Arts." She replied. Neil spat out his beagle. "My dad teaches that class!" He said. Crystal rolled her eyes. "Of course, dad came to embarrass us." She said sarcastically. Neil rolled his eyes and grabbed his backpack. "C'mon, Rachel, my dad'll be there early." He said, and they walked away. Neil came to the D.A.D.A door and pushed it slowly open. Harry, not knowing Neil and Rachel were in the room, jumped as Neil tapped him on the shoulder. "Neil! Don't do that! I told you not to appear and startle me like that!" Harry said. "I didn't." Neil said, his green eyes watching his father searchingly. Harry opened his mouth, changed his mind, and closed it. He gave Neil a little grin. He had the same piercing green eyes Harry had. Harry looked up abruptly as the bell rang and grinned as the students filed into the classroom. ~*~Meanwhile.~*~ Meagan dragged Joanne and Jessica to the doctor's office. Jo and Jess struggled, kicked, and even bit their mother to get back home. Meagan gave a sigh. "I don't like the doctor's office either, but my Quidditch insurance says we must go!" She said, exasperatedly. She dragged them into the magical doctor's office, causing a scene. She magically bound them to the seats they were in. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed. Twins. She thought. "Potter, Meagan!" The secretary yelled. "You better stay here." Meagan said threateningly to her daughters. They gave her equal looks of disgust. She strutted over to the secretary, who glanced over at the two struggling twins. "It'll be about ten minutes until they get out of that." She said sadly. Meagan walked in and saw Dr. Bruder walk in. "'Morning Meagan." He said, grinning. Meagan grinned back. "I had to take the twins along." She sighed forlornly. "Those two give parenthood a bad name." Dr. Bruder laughed. "Yes, yes," He said, "I saw them before I came here. Magically bound to the chair, are they?" Meagan nodded and grinned again. He tested her reflexes (which worked quicker than he expected and got flung across the room when she kicked him), looked in her ears, eyes, and throat, and then said, "Well, it's not time for the blood test." Meagan wrinkled her nose. "Blood tests." She said, shuddering, "I hate them. I don't mind slitting my arm open for a good reason but I still don't like it." He led Meagan to the blood testing room and pricked her finger. She winced a little but didn't emit any noise. He walked away and came back minutes later, looking at a piece of parchment. He grinned at her again, showing lots of teeth. "Meagan," He said, looking over the parchment, "You're pregnant again." ~*~At Hogwarts.~*~ "And Hagrid will be bringing the today's subject." Harry said, looking out the window. He saw nothing, but he swore he heard a faint clicking noise. Neil looked out the window and zoomed onto a spot where the bushes were moving. Seeing nothing, he sighed and returned his sight to normal. Suddenly the door burst open. Harry jerked around and saw Meagan standing in the doorway, her face flushed and her flyaway hair messier than normal. "Harry-!" She gasped. Harry looked at her, startled. She mentioned for him to step outside and he did so. What the.? Neil thought. The next thing he knew Crystal was hovering beside him. 'What called you here?' Neil mind-waved to her. Crystal settled herself on Neil's desk. 'You know I have the Weasleys for friends,' she said, as though it were obvious, 'they can read minds.' She looked at the wall. Her special power was the power to look through solid objects. There was a yelp and a scream of, "OH MY GOD!" and then the thump of something large hitting the ground. 'Dad just fainted,' Crystal informed him. Neil looked at her. Rachel was starting to give him funny looks. There was a flash of lights and a muffled shout. 'Ewww.' Crystal said, 'Mum just woke Dad up by kissing him while zapping him.' Neil wrinkled his nose. "What the heck is up wit' you?" Rachel asked. Neil shook his head and mouthed, "Crystal." Harry stumbled back into the classroom. Meagan gave him a soft kiss and left. "Ow." He said finally. "Harry! There yeh are!" Came loud voice. Harry looked up and saw Hagrid entering the room. "Are yeh read' for 'im?" Harry rolled up his sleeves, licked his parched lips, and nodded. There was a loud clicking noise and Aragog entered the room, pincers bared, all eight eyes twinkling. Most students screamed. "Where is the boy I met in the Forbidden Forest?" He asked, his pincers clicking dangerously. His eyes scanned the room and landed on Neil. Aragog approached Neil and leaned his horrible white head close to Neil's. Rachel pushed her chair violently backwards, ramming into the desk in back of hers, which also happened to be Pandemonia's. Pandemonia was watched Aragog with interest, her red and brown eyes sparkling. Neil looked coolly at Aragog. "No, I think perhaps you're looking for my father." He said, jerking his head to his father. Aragog reared back and looked at Harry. Aragog walked over to him and stared into his eyes. Harry stood tall, his jaw set and looked back into the spider's eight eyes. "Where is your orange-haired companion?" Aragog inquired. Harry unclenched his jaw. (Crystal was gone by now) "Working for the Ministry. He's as old as I now." He said. Aragog clicked his pincers. "I need you to help me with my classes." Harry said, flexing his arms, "I'm sure it is Hagrid's will for you to do it." Aragog looked from Harry to Hagrid, who nodded enthusiastically. Aragog sighed, his pincers clicking rapidly. "Then I will do so." He said, and Harry began to teach his class. ~*~At the Potter Residence.~*~ James sighed despondently. Meagan had been making fun of his hair again. It had started to gray and Meagan wouldn't shut up about it. "Wait until Sirius sees this! I'll never hear the end of it." He said. There was a crashing sound as Jo and Jess knocked something over. He looked up abruptly and grinned. It sounded like it did in the day of the Marauders. "THE NEW NEIGHBOR IS HERE! JOANNE? JESSICA? DID YOU BREAK THAT LAMP AGAIN!?" He heard Meagan shouting. He laughed. Meagan walked into the room, snorted, and said, "Do you and your gray hair want to meet the new neighbor, Prongs?" James sighed and looked miserably into the mirror. It was a tendency for the Marauders to make fun of each other. "No." He said. Meagan laughed and walked downstairs. "I think I'm leaving the kids here!" She shouted up the stairs to James, "They might break something!" She heard James give another sigh and she laughed. She left the house, wincing as she heard another crash and James yelling. There was a high-pitched meowing sound. Sighing, she rang the doorbell. A blonde-haired woman with icy gray eyes opened the door moments later. "Yes?" She asked. "I'm your neighbor and I was wondering if you wanted to come over to have some tea." Meagan said kindly. "Alright." The woman replied, "By the way, my name is Agatha. You know, the popular singing sorceress, Only Me." "Uh huh." Meagan said, not knowing what on earth Agatha was talking about. Agatha stopped short when she saw the direction Meagan was walking in. "Isn't that Harry Potter's house?" She asked. "Yeah.?" Meagan said slowly, watching Agatha, "That's the Potter residence. I live there." "Is it a condominium?" Agatha asked. "No." "Are you his. sister?" "No." "Are you his girlfriend?" "In a way. I'm his wife." Meagan said. Agatha gasped. "Harry Potter is. married?" She sputtered. Meagan opened her mouth to reply when there was a loud crashing sound and Nita sprinted out the front door, screaming. Jo and Jess were her pursuers, chasing her with Meagan's wand. Nita's glasses fell off and she blundered into a tree. "JAMES!!!" Meagan screamed. James opened the window of his room and stuck his head out. "What?" He asked with fake innocence. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA WATCH THE KIDS!" Meagan hollered. "Oops!" He said, closing the window. "PRONGS YOU LOSER!" Meagan replied, her eyes flashing red. She ran after Jo and Jess. "Leave Nita alone!" She shouted at them. Jess's eyes flashed purple from behind her glasses. Jo, wearing her sunglasses as usual, didn't even glance towards their mother. Agatha stood staring as Meagan lunged at Jo, who held position of her wand. Jo fell, her sunglasses askew, and threw the wand to Jess. Jess "accidentally" stepped on Nita's glasses and stumbled away. Meagan, exasperated, pointed her finger at her wand, which shot towards her and out of Jess's clutches. She repaired Nita's glasses and comforted her, for she had a horrible scrape on her knees that was starting to bleed. Nita sobbed into her mother's shirt as Meagan healed the scrape. "There you go, Juanita," Meagan soothed, running her fingers through Nita's hair. Nita wiped her nose with her arm, stood up, and ambled away. "Sorry." Meagan said, shaking her head. "Those twins always get their hands on my wand one way or another." Agatha looked at her weakly. "You have kids?" She asked. "Yeah. Harry and I have five of them. Crystal and Neil or off at school. And he's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." Meagan replied, "Won't you come in?" Meagan led Agatha into the house. She waved her hand casually and made them some tea. They sat down at the table. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" Came two identical shouts. Meagan and Agatha turned to see James walking down the stairs. "Hullo Blue Eyes." He said, seating himself beside Meagan. "Are you. Harry Potter?" Agatha asked. Meagan and James looked at each other and burst out laughing. "No!" James wheezed. "I'm James Potter!" Agatha gasped as Meagan and her chair fell over backwards. "ME get married to THAT bloke!?" Meagan choked. James held a hand out to Meagan, who took it. James let go of it and she fell over backwards. She yelped and glared. She mumbled under her breath and then remembered that she hadn't told James she was pregnant again. She sat herself down and sighed. Nita came into the kitchen and started to look for the sweets. She found some Reese's and started to open it when Meagan said, "No, no, no! Not before lunch! Remember the time you ate too much sugar?" She took the Reese's away and Nita sulked away. "James Potter?" Agatha squeaked, "But James Potter. died!" James gave her a sideways look. "Indeed I did, but I got another shot at life. This second life was a gift to Meagan and Harry on their wedding day." He said. "Yeap!" Meagan said, she herself starting to eat Reese's, "A gift from Godric Gryffindor himself, as I'm his heir." Agatha looked as if she were receiving too much information in too little time. Then the puzzled look was replaced by another look. All Meagan knew was that she didn't like it. 'Mk, status report on this Agatha person sitting in front of me.' Meagan mind-waved to Marykate. 'Mmfrg! Meagan! It's nine!' Marykate replied. Meagan sighed again and rolled her eyes. 'This Agatha person has a murderous look in her eyes! Now tell me!' Marykate mumbled something inaudible and said, quite dully, 'Agatha, or the singing sorceress "Only Me," moved here purposely, so she could marry Harry Potter and become more famous. Not that she likes him really, she just wants to be famous.' She yawned. 'Happy?' She asked. 'Yeah, thanks Mk.' Meagan said. "I'm just wondering how you didn't know I was married to Harry. I'm always on the sports news, since Harry and I both play professional Quidditch." Meagan said, unwrapping and throwing another Reese into her mouth. "Oh, I don't watch Quidditch news," Agatha said snobbishly, "I only watch the news when I'm on it." Meagan stared at her. "Yeah. Wow! Look at the time! I have Quidditch practice now!" Meagan said in fake surprise, "You really must be going!" She and Agatha got up and Meagan shoved Agatha out the door. She leaned on the door and sighed. "Good riddance." She said. ~*~ "Hey, Moonlight! Your dad's class is next!" Fred said, taking aim and flicking a pea at George. George loaded his spoon with mashed potatoes and flung them at Fred. "Well, I think it's gonna be interesting!" He said as Fred wiped fustily at the potatoes that were in his hair. "Oh boy." Was all that Crystal could say. Brian started to flick peas at Felicity, over at the Slytherin table. Crystal joined him, flicking peas at Blick. Both Slytherins looked around for the pea-flickers, but Brian and Crystal stopped and shoveled food into their mouths as Felicity and Blick looked in their direction. The loud bell rang and the four Modern-Day Marauders took up their bags. They all ran down the hall so they could grab seats before the Slytherins could. Crystal swung around the corner and ran into her father's classroom, closely followed by Fred and George, with Brian in the rear. She sat in the first row of the middle row. Fred and George sat on her sides and Brian sat behind her. There were three popping noises and Bill was sitting behind Fred, whereas Georgia was sitting behind George, and Ginny behind Georgia. Everyone else gradually came in and sat down in the rest of the seats. Harry walked in, grinning around at all the students, it only faltering when his eyes landed on Felicity and Blick all done up in Slytherin robes. "Hello, class. I'm Professor Potter, as most of you already know." Harry said. Most of the Slytherins snickered at him from behind his back. "Now the creature I'm bringing in is large, but it will not hurt you. I ask you please not to scream." Harry said, his eyes wondering onto the Weasley Quints. "Aragog, if you please." He said. Aragog walked and there were four identical screams. Four of the Weasley quints were screaming. Fred pushed his chair violently backward, knocking into Bill. Bill sat with his mouth open in a silent scream, his eyes popping. Georgia and Ginny were clutching each other and screaming a high-pitched scream. George and his chair had fallen over sideways. Harry grinned a little to himself. Just looking at their faces reminded him thoroughly remember Ron, his best friend. He gave a fluttering sigh as the two Weasley quint girls had fainted. "I think you five shout sit out this class." He said. ~*~ "Flying lessons are next!" Rachel shrieked. Neil hitched up his bag, his shy eyes scanning the schedule. "Let's go to it then," He said. Rachel led the way, shrieking and jumping up and down while Neil followed. Neil had been on a broomstick his whole life, and didn't really need to learn how to fly. They came out onto the patch of grass where they would take their class. Elderly Madame Hooch came across the field as soon as everyone was there. "Hello class." She said, "The first thing you do is put your hand over the broom and say, 'up.'" Neil noticed that his flying teacher was watching him very closely. "Up." He commanded in a firm voice. The broomstick leapt from the ground and into his hand. "Up! Up! UP!" Rachel was shrieking at hers. The broomstick leapt from the ground and did some kind of funny flip like thing, landing on the ground once more. Pandemonia had her broom, as Debra Malfoy did too. Madame Hooch nodded at Neil, not surprised to his taking to Quidditch like a duck to water. "Now sit on your broom like this- No, Miss Malfoy, like this." She said. Neil positioned himself the way his father had shown him to. "When I blow my whistle, kick off." Madame Hooch said. Nina Longbottom, Neville Longbottom's daughter, looked fretfully at Madame Hooch. "One." She began. Neil tensed his legs, ready to kick off. "Two." Nina started to shake. "Three-!" One second too early, Nina jumped. "COME BACK DOWN HERE!" Madame Hooch roared. Nina went higher. and higher. and higher. Then, suddenly, the broom's handle pointed straight down. Nina screamed and let go of the broom to shield her face from the on-rushing ground. There was a loud thud and a sickening crack as Nina hit the ground and broke both her arm and leg. Madame Hooch thought this scene looked vaguely familiar. like it had happened before, but in a different way. She led the sobbing Nina to the Hospital Wing, but before she entered the castle, she said, "Don't any of you even think about flying before I come back!" and entered the castle. Debra, Pandemonia, and most of the Slytherins started to laugh. Debra's pale, pointed face flushed as she threw her head back and laughed. When she wiped her eyes, she saw something glittering and swooped down to pick it up. She looked at the object and remembered the story her father had told her. It was a Remembrall. "Oh look! Sniveling little Longbottom dropped her father's Remembrall!" She said, laughing again. Pandemonia burst into laughter too. "Hand it over, Malfoy." Neil said, stepping forward. Debra looked at him. "No, I have a better idea. I'll leave it somewhere Longbottom will find it. maybe on top of the Astronomy Tower." She said, hopping onto her broomstick and kicking off the ground. Neil mounted his broom and was about to kick off when Rachel put her hand on his shoulder. "Dude," she said, "You'll get expelled if you do that!" He shook her off and gritted his teeth. "My dad did it, and he got onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team. If he can do it, so can I." He said. He kicked off and watched the top of Rachel's hat shake back and forth. He smiled as he felt the wind on his face. His face flushed with excitement as he turned to face Debra. "Hand it over." Neil said. Debra, face white, remembered that she left her wand in the common room. Neil shot at Debra who veered quickly to the left, Neil just missing her. Debra, not knowing what to do, threw the Remembrall with all her strength. "CATCH THAT POTTER!" She screeched. Neil, before he knew what he was doing, dived. His chest touched the broomsticks handle as he shot towards the falling marble-like thing. He was catching up with it. he was level with it. he was underneath it! He caught it in one hand and veered upwards, narrowly missing the ground. He jumped off his broom, amid claps and cheers from the bystanders. Then, all was hushed. Professor McGonagall came running. She grabbed Neil by the arm and led him into the castle. She knocked on Flitwick's door, got Mac, went and got Harry, and they went to her office. She talked to Mac and Harry quietly for a moment, Harry grinning, a look of horror on Mac's face, and then she turned back to Neil. "Neil, would you want to be the new Gryffindor Seeker?" She asked. Neil's mouth dropped open, then he regained his composure and said, "No." "Why?" asked Professor McGonagall, Harry, and Mac at the same time (although Mac sounded happy). "Because I'm gonna spare Mac the shame of being replaced by a first year." Neil said. Mac jumped into the air and shouted for joy. 


	13. Of Marauder Meetings and Singing Contest...

Chapter 13 Of Marauder Meetings and Singing Contests Meagan pulled the cloak tight around her as she scurried through to a large warehouse. Looking around to see if no one was watching, she knocked on the large door. A little window, about eyelevel to her, opened and she saw a pair of eyes. "Password?" the eyes asked in a gruff and scratchy voice. Meagan looked around again, as did the eyes. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Meagan said firmly. The large door opened and Meagan was emitted into the warehouse. There she saw a man wrapped in a brown cloak. He beckoned to her and led her down a long passageway. Down dark corridors, through secret passageways, through invisible walls they went, walking deeper and deeper into the ground. They stopped at a door with light coming through the cracks. Hardy laughter was audible, accompanied by the clinking of glasses touching. The man threw the door opened and none other than Remus Lupin and James Potter looked at them. The man lowered his hood and Sirius beamed at them, having a bad case hood-hair. "I can't believe you let Sirius the Stupid have door duty," Meagan said as she lowered her cloak and sat herself down next to Lupin. Lupin barley glanced at her and said, "You're getting fat." Meagan rolled her eyes from the looks she was getting. "Well, truth be told, I gotta tell you guys something." All three heads leaned in, eagerly awaiting the news. "I'm pregnant again." Sirius, of course, knew this. But, being the men they are, James and Lupin screamed and fainted. Meagan raised her sparking fingers. Sirius dove out of the room and slammed the door shut. He watched blazes of light flicker from the cracks in the door and hear his two friends howling. Sirius would never know what happened in that room. from the horrors with in. He walked into the room and saw, to his great amusement, that Lupin and James were both smoking from the zaps they had received. He was also pleased to observe that James's hair was sticking up vertically, as was Lupin's. "Well!" James said, coughing and a puff of smoke escaping his lips, "That felt nice!" Sirius laughed at that. Meagan spun around on the spinning chair she was in and took a sip of Butterbeer. "I wonder if all men faint like that." she wondered aloud to herself. Just then, echoing through the warehouse came a shout of, "SIRIUS FITZGERALD BLACK!" All four Marauders looked up and around, shocked. "I thought you made it impossible for anyone to find us!" James said, pulling out his graying hair. "We're smarter than you think!" Meagan said. "Wha?" Sirius asked. "Women. Men think so little of us. We're much more smarter than you think!" she said, her eyebrows raised. Meagan held her fist out and the rest of the Marauders put their hands on hers. "Mischief managed." They whispered. Sirius pulled his cloak up and ran out the door. Meagan waved cheerily at them, grabbed James by the arm, and disappeared, leaving Lupin to stand there, bewildered and befuddled. ~*~ "Did you do it?" Fred asked hoarsely. Crystal nodded, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she'd burst into fits of hysterical laughter. They looked over at the Slytherin table and stated to shake with suppressed gales of laughter. Brain's lips were hidden inside his mouth from holding back laughter. Every time George glanced at him, he'd have to duck under the table so no one would see him laughing. They all watched Felicity bite into a cupcake. As she was chewing it, she opened her eyes, surprised. Then, in a resounding voice that echoed around the hall, she said, "Where's the cream filling?" The only reason it echoed across the hall was because Fred had flicked the 'on' switch up that connected to a microphone hidden in the Slytherin table in front of Felicity. Everyone stopped eating for a moment, almost as shocked as Felicity, and burst into laughter. Even Blick was laughing! But the ones who were laughing the hardest, of course, were the four who had set it all up: the Modern-Day Marauders. Felicity got up, her cheeks bright red, and swooped over to the Gryffindor table. She stood in front of Brian, who was clutching his stomach and gasping for breath. "You did this," she said, her eyes narrowed and glinting gold, "You and your jackass friends." Fred chose this particular moment to throw the microphone control switch thing under the Slytherin table. right under Blick. She heard the clatter of metal against stone and looked to where the switch was. Her shoulders tensed and she bared her teeth, her eyes flashing dangerously. She glided over to it, swooped down, picked it up, and held it in front of Blick's face. The moment he laid eyes upon it, he said, "I didn't do it!" The whole hall had gone silent, every student's eyes fixed upon the two young Slytherins (or Gryffindors, their rightful House). Felicity took Blick by the ear and led him out of the hall, yelping. ~*~ "Where's the snitch!? Who got it!? WHERE'S THE SNITCH!?!?!?!?" yelped Lee Jordan, head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports and commentator of a professional Quidditch league. Harry swooped upwards, his hair plastered to his head from sweat. He swooped towards the stands, making people scream, and landed in front of Meagan in the top box. Lee looked at him as if he were crazy. He handed Meagan something. Meagan didn't even have to look at it. She felt tiny wings beating rapidly against the palm of her hand. She felt the cool metal against her hand. She held the snitch in her hand. Meagan kissed him, let go, and lifted the snitch above her head. The other team looked shocked. The Chudley Cannon fans (you must know Ron is somewhere in those stands.) roared their approval. "Er. The Chudley Cannons win?" asked Lee mostly to himself. As Meagan and Harry walked out of the stadium, about a hundred journalists for different magazines and magical news shows swooped down on them. "Is it true you resigned?" asked one young reporter. "Were you really banned from the Quidditch team?" asked another. Meagan and Harry stopped, being blocked by all the eager reporters. "No, I have not resigned." Meagan said firmly. Every journalist began to scribble on his or her rolls of parchment. "Then you were banned?" asked an old man. "No." Meagan said truthfully. She had actually gone to get her job back, accomplished it, but found out she was expecting again and had to stay out this year. "Then what has happened?" asked a reporter, a cameraman close behind her. "Well," Meagan said, grinning a little to herself, "I had to stay out this year because." she stopped for a moment, to add effect and to get stares from everyone, "Potter number six is on the way." The second Meagan stopped talking, there was a loud uproar. "POTTER NUMBER SIX?" exclaimed one. "ANOTHER POTTER?" yelped another. Meagan only grinned at them and let the uproar carry on. ~*~ Meagan watched herself on the magical TV. She grinned. She loved seeing herself on TV. She jumped to her feet when she heard a howl of pain. She appeared outside where she saw Bellum, a tree branch, and Agatha. a look of satisfaction and fake innocence upon her face. "Agatha!" Meagan shrieked. Agatha, seeing Meagan, snarled and disappeared. Meagan sighed and levitated Bellum to inside the house and onto the bed. "Bellum!" Meagan said, shaking Bellum's shoulders. He snapped awake the moment she zapped him. "BELLUM!" she shrieked. Out of the corner of her eye, Meagan saw Jo, Jess, and Nita watching her very closely. "What's a bellum?" was Bellum's first question. Meagan groaned. "Who are you? Who am I? Where am I? Who are they?" Bellum asked. "I'm Meagan Potter." Meagan said slowly. "You are Bellum. Bellum is not a thing. You are in my house. Do you know what a house is?" Bellum stared at her. "Do you under-stand?" Meagan asked, trying not to use contractions. "Yeah, I understand. And I also happen to know what a house is." He said, a little disgruntled. Meagan sighed. "Okay," she said, now speaking at normal pace, "You're Bellum Pugnare. You are a husband and father of four. with one on the way. You're the husband of Cate Black, now known as Cate Pugnare. Any of this familiar to you?" Bellum looked very shocked. "I'm a father? I'm married? And who are they?" he added, pointing to Jo, Jess, and Nita. Meagan sighed again. This was going to take longer than she thought. "Yes, you're a father and you're married. Those kids over there are my children. My husband, Harry Potter, will be home soon." Meagan said. Harry had the weekends at Hogwarts off, and spent time with Meagan and used it to practice Quidditch. "Potter is starting to sound familiar," he said. "I remember a nice lady. You! And a nice man with glasses and black hair. Him!" Bellum pointed to the doorway, where Harry stood, looking shocked. "Harry, darling, come here." Meagan said, explained Bellum's sad story, and massaged her throat. Meanwhile, Bellum kept jibber jabbering. He seemed to have forgotten manners. "I remember something about magic! But that's silly! There's no such thing!" Bellum said. Meagan fell off her seat. Harry helped her up and muttered, "Don't hurt the baby," in her ear. Meagan kissed him quickly on the cheek and turned to Bellum. "Bellum." she said, in a slow voice again, "Magic is a real thing." Bellum laughed. "Of course it's not!" he said, but seeing the look on Meagan and Harry's faces stopped. "Good God this is gonna be hard!" Meagan said, putting her head in her hands. "But-there-can't-be magic!" Bellum said, looking from both Meagan to Harry frantically. Meagan clicked her fingers and a glass of water appeared hovering in midair. She took one long sip and sighed. "I think we need to get Cate over here. If she starts to attack, back me up." 'Cate?' Meagan inquired telepathically. 'What do you want?' Cate retorted. 'I think you should come over here. Agatha did something to Bellum.' Meagan said, her voice full of hatred. 'Coming!' Cate said. There was a popping noise a second later and Cate stood in the middle of the room, her usual glower upon her face. She spotted Bellum, who was gaping at her. "I remember her," he said, scratching his head. "Bellum!" Cate said, swooping down and kissing him. "What happened dearest?" she asked softly. "I-don't know." Bellum said. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Cate shrieked, starting at Meagan. Meagan only waved her hand and Cate froze. "I didn't do anything." She said coolly. "Mmm Mmph!" Cate said. "Agatha did it. She made a tree branch fall on his head. I heard it, came outside, and woke him up. A whole lot of damage, isn't it?" Meagan asked sarcastically. She released Cate, who fell on the floor. "I'm going to kill her!" Cate said, pushing herself up and running for the door. "No," Meagan said, a malicious smile upon her face, "We'll just laugh her out of town." ~*~ "Hello Aggie." Meagan said, swinging in front of Agatha. Agatha gave a little gasp and stepped backwards. She had been practicing some new songs for her new album "Get Away From Him, He's My Man." She had already shattered several of the windows on the Potter's house and Meagan decided now was the time to put her plan into action. "I couldn't help but hearing you practicing your songs." Meagan said as Harry came up and put his hand on Meagan's shoulder. Agatha gave a "loving" look at Harry, who recoiled slightly. "And I was wondering. If you wanted to have a singing contest." Meagan continued, noticing Harry who was shrinking behind her. Agatha snorted. "Fine. But we need publicity!" she said. Meagan grinned at her. "Done." She said, "It's tomorrow at three. Be there." ~*~ Meagan fidgeted with her hair. She had gotten a professional magical hairdresser and makeup artists to do her up, and they had done her beautifully. She now had beauty to rival that of Cate's. She was now enjoying her reflection while it lasted. "Now presenting. Agatha Windle! Also know as. ONLY ME!" The audience clapped politely. Agatha sang her song "Get Away From Him" and the audience clapped politely again. "Match that." She said, walking behind stage and past Meagan. Meagan grinned at her. "Oh, don't worry, I won't only match it, I'll do better than that." Meagan said, ramming into Agatha's shoulder as she walked past. "Now presenting everyone's favorite mother, wife, and Quidditch player. MEAGAN POTTER!" Someone might have thought a bomb had exploded if they had walked past the door to the auditorium. Meagan came out onto the stage, nodding graciously at the applauding spectators. "I'm going to sing a song from one of my favorite muggle artists when I was young. It's called 'He Loves U Not' and it's by Dream." Meagan said in her deep voice. Everyone stopped applauding and listened closely to the words as the music began: "Give it all you got, girl, give it all you got! You can take your chances! Take your best shot! You can say what you want girl, and what you do. He's never going to be with you. Your pulling petals off a flower trying to get your way, Keep pulling till it says what you wanna say. Girl, you could pick a field full of daisies, But he'd still be my baby! I know you can hardly wait till I'm away from him! Instinctively I know what your thinking! You'll be giving him an open invitation, But my baby won't be taken in, no! You can pat your cherry lips! Try to tempt with a sweet kiss! You can flut your pretty eyes! He's got his hands tied. No change! True I'm not, so free to do what he wants! He's into what he's got! He loves me! He loves you not! No matter what you do, he's never gonna be with you! He's into what he's got! He loves me! He loves you not! You're the kinda girl that's up for two a day, Only want him just because he's there! Always looking for a new ride! The grass is greener on the other siiide! You're the kinda girl who's not used to hearing no! No! All your lovers try to take you where you wanna go! Go! It doesn't matter how hard you try! You're never going to get it with my guy! No change! True I'm not, so free to do what he wants! He's into what he's got! And that's me! He loves me! He loves you not! No matter what you do, he's never going to be with you! He's into what he's got! He loves me! He loves you not! Doesn't matter what you do! He's never going to be with you! Give it all you got, girl, give it what you got! You can take your chances! Take you best shot! You can say what you want girl, and what you do! He's never going to make it with you! You can pat your cherry lips! Try to temp him with a sweet kiss! You can flut your pretty eyes! He's got his hands tied. No change! True I'm not, so free to do what he wants! He's into what he's got! He loves me! He loves you not! No matter what you do, he's never going to be with you! He's into what he's got! Take your best shot! He loves me! He loves you not! No change! He's into what he's got! And that's me! He loves me! He loves you not! No matter what you do! He's never going to be with you! He's into what he's got! And that's me! He loves me! He loves you not! He loves you not!" Meagan finished with her head bowed. The audience roared it approval. It was louder than it was for Agatha, certainly. Meagan raised her head and grinned at them. She spotted Harry and her kids in the stands. Her eyes darted over to Cate, the clueless Bellum, and their children. There were a series of popping noises as ballots popped up in front of their spectators. They all scribbled eagerly on their sheets, put them into the box of finished ballots, and waited with anxiety. The commentator reached into the box and magically counted the tallies. He looked a little shocked as he held the final result in front of his face. "Er- Meagan Potter wins with 293 votes. Agatha Windle, or Only Me, loses with only 7 votes." The commentator said. Meagan jumped up and down, clapping excitedly. Harry appeared behind stage, took her by the waist, and kissed her. Agatha shrieked with anger and tried to pull Harry away. Meagan responded with a punch. Agatha hit Meagan in the arm. Meagan hit back and Agatha flew across the room. "Nobody. touches. my. husband!" she said. Agatha got up, her pride and ego hurt, and disappeared. ~*~ "Look! They're the Marauders'!" Crystal said, pulling a bag out of her trunk. Inside was a necklace, an old tattered pair of robes, a pair of glasses, and an amulet with several gray wolf hairs inside. Crystal immediately picked up the necklace, which had loopy words scrawled across it that read: Blue Eyes. She handed Brain the robes, which were Sirius's. She tossed Fred the amulet and put the glasses on George. Crystal fastened the necklace and put it out for everyone to see. Brain pulled the robes on. They were a little large for him, but that was okay. Fred put the thick-rimmed glasses on and George put the amulet around his wrist. "Hey! It opens! It has a hinge!" Crystal said excitedly as she examined her necklace. She dug her fingernails under the cracks where the locket leveled open and pulled. Nothing happened. She pulled again. Nothing happened again. "Oh well," she said, a little saddened by her futile attempts. She yawned and stretched her arms. "Well, guys, I think we should hit the sack," she said. The others nodded in agreement. "Night!" everyone said, bidding each other goodbye. They all crept into bed, not knowing anything special was happening. Crystal twitched in her sleep. The locket that she wore sprang open. A light blazed the curtains of her bed and the sound of giggling came from the opened locket. There was a sound of tormented screaming as Crystal thrashed her head from side to side. She now was flailing her arms wildly. Two bemused words left her lips before everything was silent again: "Blue Eyes?" The light seemed to be sucked into the locket again. The giggling and tormented screams stopped. Crystal stopped thrashing about and now a smug smile replaced the scared, pale face she had had on a few moments ago. The locket closed with a snap. ~*~ Crystal sat up. Breathing heavily, she patted her chest for some sign of the locket. It was gone. She put her head in her hands and thought about the wild and confusing dream that had startled her into waking. She had been in her dormitory. and another girl had been there with her. who was it? She strained her brain. Blue Eyes! And then. and then. Blue Eyes had taken her by the shoulders. She had stood completely still, although try as she might she couldn't move. Then. then. Blue Eyes had ripped her from her body. She had felt it. And after being ripped from her body, Blue Eyes had stepped into it and smiled smugly at her. Then she had woken up. She looked around the room she was in. It was her dormitory. it was the same. yet. it was different. She shook her head. She was just sleepy. Muttering to herself, she pulled the covers up and fell asleep. ~*~ 'MEAGAN!' was the first thing she awoke to that morning. Crystal jumped out of bed and looked around, her eyes wide. "Must've been a mistake," she murmured, walking down to the common room. She felt strangely older. She almost screamed. She was in the Gryffindor common room all right, but she knew none of the people there! Once they saw her coming down the stairs, three bemused boys came running towards. She recognized them at once as James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. The Marauders. She gave a small squeak. She reached up to rub her scar, and found it wasn't there. Surprised, she lowered her hand looked at it. By then, the Marauders were right next to her. She looked at them and they looked at her. "Crys? Moonlight?" Sirius asked. "How do you. know me? You're Sirius Black!" Crystal said in a strangled voice. "Actually. I'm Brian Black. Known to you as Night Rider." Brian said, his face paling another three shades. "And." she looked over at James Potter and Remus Lupin, "Fred? George? Fishtail? Padfoot?" Fred and George nodded in turn. A dreamy look passed over Fred's (Lupin's) face. "I just realized." he said, then, in a whisper, said, "I'm a werewolf now." All four looked at each other. "Then. then." Crystal said, her voice wavering with excitement, "We're. Brian, George, and I. are Animagus!" She looked mystified. "GUYS! Er. AND GIRL!" a squeaky voice said from across the room. The hair on the back of Crystal's neck prickle. She turned and saw the one and only Peter Pettigrew facing her. And at that moment. in the back of her head. she heard, 'BLUE EYES!' she felt a tugging sensation in the back of her mind and decided it would be best to follow it. "I'll. be right back." She said and glided out of the portrait hole. There she met a girl with strawberry blonde hair and steely gray eyes that were behind glasses. She was tapping her foot. "About time, Meagan!" she said, exasperated. "I think you may have some mistake." Crystal said, backing up and hitting the Fat Lady. She felt her mind being read and the girl gasped. "Oh, she's gonna get it." the girl said. "I'm Marykate, by the way. Call your friends out here. We'll find a way to get you back to your own time." Marykate said, pushing her glasses up further on the bridge of her nose. 'Fred?' she asked in a mind-wave, 'George?' "Sorry, but they can't hear you now. They don't have powers anymore." Marykate said, hearing Crystal's call. She turned to the Fat Lady. "Password?" the Fat Lady squawked. "Er." Crystal said. "Draco Dormiens." Marykate said, and the portrait hole opened for her. "Er. Moony! Padfoot! Prongs!" she called. Instinctively, the three boys turned at the familiar nicknames. They came running and each of them in turn tripped over the entrance of the portrait hole. She shook her head. "Honestly." She said. "By the way, I'm Crystal Potter. That's. er. Fred Weasley. George Weasley. STOP PICKING YOU NOSE. and. ah, yes. Brian Black." Crystal said. Marykate snorted. "Brian Black." she muttered. Brian went red. "Well, I'm sorry if I didn't exactly get to choose my name when I was born." He said, glaring, the gold flecks in his eyes flashing. "You want to hear even more embarrassing names? Brynn and Bryce Black!" he hissed. At that, Marykate fell over laughing. "Sounds like a Lizzie name!" she choked. "It is." Crystal said. Just then, they saw two girls running up the corridor, their faces flushed but looking very scared. Crystal recognized one as her grandmother, Lily Potter. She looked closely at the other girl and saw she was Lizzie Black. "Meagan!" choked Lily, "Snape. Slytherins! Malfoy!" Crystal looked up and saw her old professor of fifty running down the hall with a rabid dog on a leash. Without knowing what she was doing, she pointed her middle finger at the two boys clad in Slytherin décor, and zapped them. Snape and Malfoy howled and covered their faces as they felt white-hot pain flare in their faces. The dog disappeared with the click of Crystal's finger. Snape and Malfoy retreated, their hands over their faces. "Thanks, Meg." Lily said, glancing at the boys that surrounded Crystal and Marykate. She was eyeing George with interest. He stared back, his mouth almost open. She fluttered her green eyes at him before Lizzie saw this and said, "C'mon, Lil, let's go." She took Lily be the arm and dragged her into the common room. "Why is everyone calling me Meagan? That's my mother's name and she wasn't born yet!" Crystal asked, getting frustrated. Marykate shrugged. "Maybe your mother was named after her mother." She said. Crystal nodded. It seemed reasonable. She had never met her Delmore grandparents. they were dead. Marykate looked at Fred. "Tonight's a full moon," she said. Fred gulped. "Is there a wolf bane potion?" he squeaked. Marykate shook her head. "Nope. Not invented yet." Crystal looked at Fred. "I thought you memorized that book of potions!" she said. For a moment, Fred looked aloof. "Yeah." he said, starting to look excited, "I did!" He waved his hand in order for something to appear, but nothing happened. He tried it again, his result being futile. He groaned. "No more powers." he said. Brian patted his shoulder. "You get used to it." He said. Fred stared. Crystal waved her hand and a smoking goblet appeared. Fred took it, thanked her, and wolfed it down. He pulled a face the minute he finished. "Bleaaaarg!" he said. "Well," Crystal said, "It's either loose your mind or keep it." Fred glared at her. "Why did I get Moony's amulet?" he asked. Crystal shrugged. "Why didn't George get Prong's glasses?" she asked. Suddenly, Madame Pomfrey came bustling down the corridor. She took Fred by the hand and led him away. Crystal glanced at George, who had a great look of anxiety on his face. "What if. I still have a part of him in me?" he asked. "What does he mean?" Marykate inquired. "He's a quint. A quintuplet. He's the oldest out of four others born the same time as he was." Brian said. "Come on. We need to follow him." Marykate said, her face white. She disappeared, but Crystal saw her hovering in mid air. 'You need the cloak.' Marykate mind-waved. Crystal clicked her fingers and an invisibility cloak appeared. She nodded at Marykate and they ran outside. As soon as they saw Madame Pomfrey disappear into the school building, they transformed. Crystal's eyes became wide, blue, and cat-like as she transformed. She felt her spine curve and twist as she shrank. Her ears became pointy and moved up her head to the very top. Ginger hair grew all over her body and her fingernails lengthened and sharpened into claws. She felt a tail grow behind her as her nose and mouth lengthened into a muzzle. She fell over sideways when it all stopped. She got up, all four of her legs shaking. She looked straight and saw four legs that were long, slender, and graceful. She looked up and saw a body. a long curved neck. and a head with a set of antlers. She looked George in one of his deep brown eyes. Brian came padding up to them. His ears perked straight up as he saw Crystal. He raised his hackles and growled deep in his throat. His ears laid back, he gave one booming bark and started after Crystal. Crystal gave a loud meow and started to turn around when George placed himself between them. Brian ran into George's legs and bounced off. "Don't." George said, his voice deeper than it usually was. A that moment, there came a whimpering sound. "Fred!" all three of them shouted. Crystal darted between the menacing branches of the Whomping Willow. She pressed the knot and dashed into the hole. There she saw Fred. He was shaking all over. He had a look of immense pain on his face. Seeing Crystal, he mouthed, "Moonlight!" Suddenly he gave a long howl. He let the wolf inside of him out. His back curved so much that his hands were touching the ground. His legs bent. He was poised to jump. He gave another long howl that was slightly muffled as his mouth formed a muzzle. His eyes flashed green as they caught the light of the full moon. Gray fur grew all along his disfigured body. He turned his neck to her, his eyes large and round. He had fully transformed. "Fred?" she asked. The werewolf bowed his head in recognition. She led him out of the hole. "Fred!?" yelled Brian. "Bro?" asked George. Fred gave a howl. "Can't you talk?" Crystal asked. Fred shook his head from side-to-side violently. Crystal nodded apologetically. "Kay." She said. "Well, we're the Marauders, aren't we? Granddad told me what he used to do." Crystal said. She pranced along the road to Hogsmead. She put her whiskers forward in a smile. Brian padded over to her. George cantered over to them, tailed by Fred. Crystal padded into the town, which was deserted. A cold wind swept through it. She slinked into Three Broomsticks and pushed the door open. Everyone got in okay, but George's hooves made a loud noise as they hit the wood. "Who's there?" came a shout. George galloped to the door and ran out. The owners of the shop (a man and a woman) came down, their wands lit, and saw Crystal. Crystal licked her nose in fright. "Meow?" she said. The woman snorted. "It's just a cat!" she said. "Shoo!" said the man. "SHOO!" Crystal could take a hint. She jumped off the counter and walked out the door. "Well," she said, meeting up with the guys, "That didn't work." George nodded and looked at the moon. Fred followed his gaze. "I wonder what the Marauders are doing in out bodies." ~*~ "I'm not a werewolf! I'm not a werewolf!" Remus said, dancing around. "Shut up, Moony, we heard you." Meagan said, yawning. They were the only ones up in the common room. "This is so cool!" James said, zapping Sirius in the back of the head. "Yeah!" Sirius said, massaging his head. "I'm still not a werewolf!" Remus said, his eyes purple. Meagan zapped him so he'd shut up. "Crys?" asked a small voice. Meagan didn't notice it. She was watching James zap Sirius with great amusement. She felt a touch on her shoulder and jumped. Neil was looking at her with his shy green eyes. "Yeah?" she asked. "I was wondering. Mum told Dad something and he fainted. Something must've happened, and we don't know it." Neil said. Looking befuddled, Meagan shook her head. "I dunno." She said. "You're different." Neil said. "Really? What do you mean?" Meagan asked. "You didn't play any tricks on Felicity today. And you're calling them different nicknames. They call you Blue Eyes. That's what Granddad calls Mum." He said, looking into Meagan's eyes. "I thought your name was. er. Pogo." He said, making up a random name. "It is." Meagan said. All Meagan saw was a blur and then she was tied with a rope. The other Marauders stopped and looked over, shocked. "You aren't my sister." Neil said, his face close to Crystal's. Meagan searched his face. "All right, all right, you got me." She said. "Who are you?" he hissed. Meagan fought him off and untied the rope. "Meagan. Meagan Delmore." She said. Neil backed into the wall. "What?" "I'm Meagan Delmore. Got a problem with that?" Meagan asked. "Crud!" Neil said. "And. Fred, George, and Brian. aren't really Fred, George, and Brian?" he asked. Meagan shook her head. "Meet Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Sirius Black." She said. "WHOLEY MOLEY!" he shouted. "You got to get out of here!" Neil said hoarsely, "You shouldn't be here! You'll find out stuff that'll change the future!" he looked wildly around when something sparkly caught his eye. He looked down and saw the necklace with the engraving, "Blue Eyes." Just by looking at it, he knew it was the only key to send his mother back to the right time and bring his sister back. He'd rather have her pick on him than him never being born. He grabbed the necklace and pulled it. Meagan felt the delicate chain digging painfully into her neck. She tried to stop it, but the chain snapped. Her wide round eyes watched the pieces of extremely small metal fly through the air. The locket snapped open. She felt herself begin to shake. She saw Crystal's face in the locket, as did Neil. "Crys!" he gasped. Meagan felt herself being ripped from her body. "Nice try, Blue Eyes. It was nice being you, but I'd rather be me." Crystal said in passing. Meagan nodded at Crystal. "I enjoyed being you, but I like being my old Marauder self." Meagan said. They grinned at each other. Crystal felt herself being fitted into her own body. Everything that was once a blur became solid again. "Crys?" Neil asked. "Neil!" Crystal exclaimed, hugging her brother. Suddenly there were three shouts. "I'm not a werewolf anymore!" shouted Fred. "Aww." George said, "I'm not an Animagus anymore!" Brian gave a whoop of joy. "I'm not my dad anymore!" he shouted. "Crys! Can't-breathe!" Neil choked, his glasses askew. Crystal released him. "I'm me!" she said in triumph. 


	14. All that's Needed is a Bash on the Head ...

Chapter 14 All that's needed is a Bash on the Head... All of You! (Not to Mention this author) "This. Is. Jack." Cate said through gritted teeth. She looked at her poor, clueless husband. He smiled bemusedly at the baby. "He. Is. Your. Son." Cate's eyes flashed dangerously at him. She was convinced she was going to have to teach him how to live... "Would. You. Like to hold.... Jack? Your. SON?" Bellum nodded happily, and opened his arms. Very slowly, Cate handed over the giggling baby. She took a deep breath, and released her son. Bellum smiled even wider as Jack giggled, and pulled his ear. "It... He... Hurt me!" He frowned. "Hold the baby, dammit!" Cate hissed. "That's your son too. He's not just MY son... You happened to be a part of this too. Now, hold the baby. Am I talking too fast?" "I can understand." he mumbled, looking at Jack strangely. He set him next to himself on the couch. Jack stood up on his shaky one-year old legs, and pulled his hair. "OW!" "Bellum." Cate said, through gritted teeth once again. "That is your son. You will hold Jack, until you remember that he is a harmless baby." Jack giggled, and grabbed hold of Bellum with both of his tiny hands. There was a small buzzing noise, and Bellum shouted in pain. Cate, however, despite this sad scene, smiled. "Look at that. Jack's zapped you. He's shown his first sign of power. And you are unable to understand." Cate picked up Jack, and set him on the ground, and let him toddle off... More than likely to show old Padfoot the dog his newfound talent. "PAIGE!" Cate shouted at the top of her lungs. "Who's Paige?" "Your. Daughter. Paige. Is. YOUR DAUGHTER!" By now, Cate looked mad. To top it all off, there was no Paige in sight. "We have a daughter?" Bellum asked curiously. He didn't know what else to do, so he smiled. "We have a daughter?" Cate mimicked. "Yes, we have a daughter. We have 2 daughters! And we have two sons! And we have ANOTHER DAUGHTER ON THE WAY!" She sneered at him, and let herself fall softly in a soft white chair. "Sorry, Cate." He said, pretty sure that was his wife's name. "I just don't remember." "I noticed." Cate rubbed her temples, and a nearby footrest caught fire, and with bang, was a pile of ashes. Bellum looked at her, jaw wide open. She looked rather murderous. She took a deep breath, and decided it was time to calm down. Then she'd seek out Agatha before she moved out of town and make sure she had a nice goodbye party... "Now, Honey. Darling, dear, Bellum. What might I ask, do you remember?" "Uh..." he said. Cate presumed he had also forgotten how to think. "I remember..." "Yes?" "A tree branch fell on me." he smiled. "And then Meagan Potter brought me inside." "Uuuuugghh!" Cate shrieked. She buried her face in her hands for several minutes, muttered incoherent words to herself, and finally looked up. The optimistic mood she had coaxed herself into faded instantly. Bellum was hopping around the room, madly, looking ready to cry. "I can't hold it!" he said between breaths. "WHAT?" Cate said, hoping she had heard him wrong. "I gotta go potty!" he squeaked. His pleasant, low, smooth voice had disappeared as he said that. Cate's jaw dropped. 'Please tell me he hasn't forgotten how!' she said to herself. "The bathroom's this way... Do you know how to go potty?" Bellum looked at her, confused. Cate kicked him in the shins, and he shouted. She placed both hands on his shoulders, and they appeared in front of the bathroom. She shoved him in, and followed, closing the door behind her. "I... can't.. hold!" he squeaked again. "Drop your pants!" she commanded. Bellum still thought of Cate as a 'stranger,' since he didn't remember her. He shuffled over, and blushed. Cate gave a frustrated cry, and balled her hands into fists. When she opened them, his pants dropped, and he gasped. She turned him towards the toilet, and pulled his boxers down. This was embarrassing even to her. She was teaching her husband how to pee... "Now go! You stupid git, go!" ~*~ "I've never been to your house before!" Paige exclaimed excitedly, her dark brown eyes flashing. She looked at the back door of the Potter house, and grinned. She saw something flash from one of the inside windows... Ah, just like home... "Nothing much to see." Nita said, quietly letting Paige and Bridgett in. She looked around for Dominic, who had been there a few seconds earlier. "Dom!" she hissed. "Where are you?" "Oh, sorry." Dominic said, rounding the corner. "Checking out the plants. Very fascinating." "Well, we're going inside, and are going to hope the twins are someplace else." Nita said, shoving Dominic into the kitchen with Paige and Bridgett. "Her room's this way..." Bridgett said, leading the way. She had been there several times before, and had the whole house mapped out in her head. "Twins!" Nita gasped, hearing footsteps from the upper floor. She shoved her three companions in a closet. "Hm... This is a nice coat." Dominic said, sounding slightly gagged. "It's suffocating me!" Nita pulled the coat forward and rolled her eyes. Dominic took a deep breath. Paige had climbed to higher ranks in the closet, and peered through the top crack in the door, to see Jo and Jess rocket by at full speed. "Coast is clear!" she said cheerfully. "OoOooOo! A lollipop!" As the four emerged, Paige had an orange flavored sucker in her mouth, and was smiling at the rest of the group. Nita cut in front, and led them a few doors down, and opened a light blue door. It read, "Nita's Room," and changed colors. "Your room is pretty nice," Paige said, not having a clue what to say. She compared everything to her house, which was unarguably the nicest house in the country. She was sick of having her room photographed, and designers knocking at the door when her mother wasn't home. She had no way to shoo them off. "Yeah right." Nita laughed. "I got last choice!" Bridgett flopped herself on the bed, and sighed. Paige stared out the window. Dominic looked oddly uncomfortable in a room full of girls. He looked at the strangely colored pink closet with a look of distaste. Paige stuck her head out, to see if the roof was climbable. It was... Two things proved this. It wasn't steep... and there were already two people on it. "Eek!" she shrieked, toppling over backwards. She landed at the feet of her cousin Dominic, who raised his eyebrows. "Twins!" Jo proceeded to come through the window, followed by Jess. Nita groaned, and shuffled over between the now standing Paige, and Brooke. Dominic just stared at them all. Jess poked Paige, and Paige gave her a disgruntled look. "What was that for?" she commanded. "She's-." Jess started. "A Pugnare." Jo finished. "What're you doing here?" they asked in unison. "Uh... Nita invited me." Paige said, narrowing her eyebrows. "And you haven't-" Jo started. "Hexed her or anything like that?" Jess finished. Paige wished they'd quit that; finishing each others' sentences. "No...." she replied. "Okay then. Welcome." They said together. Paige gave them an odd look, and stepped towards Nita, Bridgett, and Dominic. The twins were grinning at them all devilishly, and they made a break for the door. Paige in the lead, not having the slightest idea where she was going, turned random corners, not really checking to see if anyone was behind her. She made the mistake of turning into the living room, where she hurdled over the coffee table, overturning some tea that had been sitting there. She didn't even noticed who was sitting there. Meagan stared as three more blurs followed her. "Bridgett Black..." she sighed. "Just like her father..." Bridgett, who was caught in the middle, suddenly stopped. She turned, and looked at Meagan, who looked back at her. "That wasn't Bridgett..." she muttered, as Nita pulled Bridgett and Dominic after Paige. It took her a few more minutes to realize that Paige had knocked over her tea. Paige Pugnare. What was she doing in her house? She shook her head. Maybe this pregnancy was making her delusional? No Pugnare ever came voluntarily to the Potter residence... ~*~ "Oh no. I've got an owl from my mum." Ethan sighed, looking the parchment letter an owl dropped in front of him at breakfast. "I dare you to open it." Brynn grinned, taking a bite of a breakfast sausage. Ethan cautiously opened it, wondering what Cate could possibly have to say. He read it to himself quickly, and the proceeded to read it aloud to Brynn, Bryce, and Mac. "Dear Ethan." he started. "This is your mother. Your pregnant mother who has acquired a new child in the house.... YOUR FATHER!" He paused here for effect, and saw his friends staring. "Yes, that's right. Your father has lost his memory at the moment. He does not know who you are, who Felicity, Jack, Paige, and even I am! He has forgotten perfectly normal things. He does, however, remember certain odd things. Such as the mathematical theory of something-or-another. So just to let you know your father may never be sane. Love, your agitated mother... Cate." Ethan showed them a very sloppy signature, which was obviously done quickly, and in a very irritated manner. He looked over to Felicity, who was staring at her letter. "Why can't I have a normal life?" he sighed, sighing and resting his face in his hands. "Because we aren't normal people." Brynn answered. ~*~ "Paige!" Cate mumbled. Paige was standing in front of her. "Where have you been?" "Bridgett and I went for a walk." she said innocently. Cate stared at her. She knew it wasn't true, but she was going to let it slide this time... she already had too much to deal with. "We're going to the doctor's. I need a visit. So does your father. Sit here and watch your father while I pry Jack off Padfoot's back..." Paige's mouth dropped open, and she looked at Jack, clinging tightly to the dog's shaggy fur, and to her father who was sitting on the couch. She didn't quite understand the phrase, 'Watch Your Father' all that well. Bellum waved at her, and then his vision was diverted, at Cate shrieked. He stared at Cate once again. "Dad?" Paige asked quietly. Bellum didn't respond. She was beginning to believe he was crazy. "Dad? No! Sit back down. Don't touch the vase.." Cate returned, half a minute later, a screaming baby grasped in one arm, and the other arm pulled Bellum off his seat. She thrusted jack to Paige, who sighed. "Hey Jack. Mum and dad gone mad again?" "Where are we going?" bellum asked. "The Hospital." Cate snapped. "Why?" "Because you need to have your head examined... literally!" (A/N-Cathy: Mahwah. there ya go.) Of course, all Jack did was coo. He only knew responses to a few phrases, which usually involved trouble and something of the same sort. They all piled into a Rolls Royce, and speeded down a road. In a trip that should have taken half an hour, took them a full hour. The Hospital was a large building. It was white, and there were several cars parked sloppily in front of it. Most witches and wizards were not expert drivers. Cate commanded everyone to get out, and like a prison warden, she marched them inside. The secretary stared, and Cate went to speak with her. "Urgent visit to Doctor Theodore Kost." she said, glaring. "Just say Cate Pugnare. He'll see me." The secretary nodded, and Cate waved a hand, and turned around to see what she had stopped. Bellum was frozen halfway in the air. He appeared to have jumped from a chair. Paige was either catching or throwing Jack. She couldn't decide. The three of them frozen, she stepped in front of where Jack was suspended in the air and waved her hand again. He dropped, directly into her arms. Bellum, however, had a different fate. There was a loud THUD, and he met the floor. "Um... Doctor Kost will see you now." the secretary announced shyly. She looked to Cate, and pointed down the hall. "Just down there." Cate grabbed Bellum, who had pulled himself off the ground, by the ear, and kicked him in the room. The doctor stared. Cate tossed back her dark brown hair, and smiled through gritted teeth. "What seems to be the problem? And er- with who?" he asked. Doctor Kost had been Cate's doctor since she was first pregnant. He knew her very well, and also knew that she must be watched, or she might... snap once again. "My husband. I think he was hit... He needs his head examined. Just find out how to get him cured." she commanded, much like an angry empress. "And I think it's also time for me to have a checkup as well... Just to keep up on everything." "We'll have you going in a few minutes. I think nurse Hillary can handle your husband. Would you like your children to stay here?" Paige answered that question for her. "I'll take Jack to the play area in the lobby!" she said. She had seen children with candy there. Cate nodded, and looked to Doctor Kost. The doctor sighed, and made a very thick medical record appear. "So what's the problem you wish to discuss now?" he asked, looking at Cate with a slight look of wonder. "Where do I start?" Cate said, heaving a large sigh. "Shall I start when I was switched bodies with Meagan Potter, miscarried a baby, was transported to some strange world, or where my husband lost his memory?" "We have that on record already." Doctor Kost sighed. He looked her over. She was looking around the room with disgust. "Stress?" "Yes." Cate taped her foot. "Well, are you going to examine me, make sure my baby's still fine?" "Yes, yes... But my main concern is your mental state as of this moment." "Dammit, I pay good money for your advice!" Cate hissed. "I am a pregnant woman! Do you think I'm NOT going to go through stress? Now, just get this over with..." Doctor Kost shook his head. He had been through this many times. He was the best doctor in the world, and not for anything. Those who knew the situation for keeping Cate sane credited him. He had been with her through 4 pregnancies so far, each one had been practically the same. "I'll give you the typical medication." He said, scrawling something down on a piece of parchment. "The one you always give me?" Cate sighed. She hate he awful tasting pill she had to chew every morning before breakfast before she was pregnant. "No, the one I give you when you're pregnant. The one that you don't have to chew." "Alright." Cate said, calming down slightly. She kept trying to see through the frosted window of the door, to see where her husband was. "Now I have to take a look at the baby, have a seat on the table." Cate groaned. She looked down at her small bubble of a stomach, and laid back on the medical table. She hated the smell of hospitals. magical and Muggle alike. She also disliked being touched by anyone but her husband. It made her very irritable. This is why she didn't ever go to Muggle doctors. Magic involved less touching. All the doctor had to do was wave his wand... A few pieces of parchment popped up from nowhere and the doctor examined them. He smiled. "Your baby is fine. As are you. Just calm down a bit, Cate." Cate smiled for a change. She opened the door, only to see someone running down the hall; her husband. She let out a cry of frustration as she saw Bellum running down the long hallway, arms askew, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Bellum!" Cate shouted. "Come back here!" Wasting no time in a chase on foot, Cate opened her palm, and aimed her hand in the general direction of her husband. There was bolt of electricity, and cry of "OUCH!" and a large THUD. Cate sighed, and appeared in the spot in front of bellum, who was on the floor... Unconscious. She rolled her eyes, and Page stood up, yanked a crayon from Jack's grip, and pulled him towards their mother and father. Cate took a deep breath and brought him back to consciousness with another touch of electricity. "Wha?" Bellum gaped, sitting up. "Cate, they.... they were trying to steal my brain." "Huh?" Cate said, fighting the urge to laugh. "Who'd do a thing like that.... Steal YOUR brain!" "Her." He pointed frightfully at the old nurse, who had graying hair, and was looking quite confused. "No, they were looking at your head, which isn't functioning correctly at the present moment. Trying to make you BETTER.." Cate hissed. "Embarrassing..." "No, she wanted to steal my brain." Paige found this very funny. She had dropped back, in a fit of silent laughter, and laughed herself to tears. Bellum was still sitting on the floor, looking up at Cate, with his innocent brown eyes. Cate groaned, and offered a hand to pull him up. He took it, and hoisted himself up, almost pulling Cate down. "And the results are...?" she asked the nurse. "Well, there's no telling. Either his memory comes back, or it doesn't." the nurse said, backing away from Bellum, who had started to growl at her. Cate let out a frustrated growl, and escorted her family off to the Rolls, mumbling along the way... It was going to be another long car ride... ~*~ "Another day in the life of Padfoot the Imperfect..." (A/N-Cathy: Copyright goes to Meagan...) James snorted. He looked at Sirius, who had a visit with Cate. He was rubbing an arm; robes concealing a large bruise from being hit so many times. It wasn't his fault that Bellum had lost his mind, and he happened to find it funny. "Oh, shut up." Sirius remarked. His face broke into a familiar grin suddenly, and he mimicked his son-in-law. "Sirius? I am serious! Now what's his name?" James broke into laughter. "You'd better hope that daughter of yours isn't listening... She'll have your head." "Oh, on. She's far too busy entertaining the children... meaning her husband.." Sirius snorted. "Now, now... I think he's just as clueless now as you are. Sirius the Stupid (A/N-Cathy: yes, also Meagan's), is after all, another one of your nicknames..." Sirius glared, and fidgeted. "Well, he's a real good guy when he's normal." he said, changing the subject quickly. "Poor man..." "Well, I have to agree with you there. But you're still the ugly Dark Marauder (A/N-Cathy: Yes, that's my OWN!)!" "What does that have to do with it?" Sirius rolled his dark brown eyes. "Peeping Prongs." "Alright, that's it Black!" James lunged at Sirius, who dodged him. A younger body did come to his advantage... Sometimes he thanked the Black curse... ~*~ Cate had taken the medication, and was calming down a considerable amount. It was late at night, and she was making another attempt to bring back Bellum's memory. She had convinced herself that she didn't look too bad in a long white silken nightdress. Bellum didn't seem to mind that she was pregnant. She was going to take a page out of his book, and be the romantic one... She looked around and noted the candles, and soft, rather annoying music. She smoothed out the bed sheets, and picked up her wand from the nightstand. She waved it around, and there was a golden mist that hazed the room, the candles flickering brightly. She also added soft sparkles in the air, and looked around, seeming to be done. But there was one more thing she needed. "Bellum! Come out of the bathroom!" she called, giving the master bathroom's door handle a hard tug. It was locked. She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Alohomara." The door lock popped open, and she turned it, entering the bathroom. Bellum gave a cry of fright, and leaped into the shower. Why he was hiding there was a mystery to Cate. He cowered in the corner of the shower in a red flannel robe, pulling it tighter around himself. Cate smiled, and offered him a hand to take. He looked at her skeptically, wondering if she was going to hurt him, or worse.. She smiled sweetly, and let her eyes sparkle. Bellum blushed shyly, and took her hand. She led him out to the bedroom, and he stared at the setting, his head tilted slightly. He smiled, and then backed away. "What's the matter honey?" Cate asked, looking very concerned. "I... you. uh.. we.. this.. Uh..." he sputtered, backing still further away. "Yes?" Cate sighed. "Spit it out." "Well, me being not able to remember, well... anything... We really don't know each other.. So.. Um..." "Oh, you're letting that worry you?" Cate grinned. She moved closer to him, and he backed into the wall. She reached out, and fiddled with the string on the flannel robe. Bellum looked at her, squirming madly. "I wish you remembered our first meeting... Then you'd have no guilt at all about what you're thinking..." Bellum gulped, and looked at Cate. Cate pressed herself against him, and he almost flipped. Cate pressed a finger against his lips to silence him. After a few seconds, he stopped squirming, and took a deep breath. He looked into her eyes, and sighed. He took a second look at her, and she released her hold on him slightly. She giggled slightly, and whispered something in his ear. "Am not!" he said back. He looked at her. She looked back at him and grinned. "Okay, so what." he shrugged. "You're beautiful." Cate smiled. This was what she was hoping for. She put one arm around his neck, and touched his ace with the other, pulling him close to her face. He closed his eyes, and kissed her. This seemed to please Cate... he was warming up to her. "And you are handsome." she said. She knew it was very corny, and a rather stupid thing to say, but Bellum laughed. "No, I'm Bellum." he grinned. "Not handsome." Cate shook her head and sighed. She caught him off guard, and gave the string on the robe a good tug, and it came undone. She fought the urge to laugh at the green flannel boxers. He blushed a deep scarlet color, and squirmed again. Cate kissed him again, and his nerves were relieved slightly. She slipped her cold hands on his shoulders, and rubbed them a bit. "That feels nice, doesn't it?" she whispered. "Mm-hmm..." He grinned, loosening up more. Cate looked him in the eyes, looking quite sad. "I wish you could remember. You can't understand how much I love you. How much you mean to me." She sighed, and pulled him over to the bed. She motioned for him to lie down, and she curled up beside him, and lay her head on his chest. Bellum seemed more comfortable around her, so he put his arm around her, and pulled her closer. "I thought no one would ever love me." Cate continued. "Then I met you. At first I thought you were just another man chasing me. But then you brought me off into a little hall, and got me to dance with you. No one ever did things like that for me. It was going out of your way. And there was the way you touched me... Just something different. You asked to kiss me, even thought you knew my answer would probably be no, since I was rather touchy. But I liked you then, and still do. It was the first time I ever felt truly loved. We both woke late the next morning, and I had no regrets at all... I, the Dark Angel of Light... had fallen in love just like that. Ever so quickly, and I was swept off my feet...." "Then I've fallen in love with you all over." Bellum said. He had spent the time while Cate had been talking to think of something romantic to say. "That's sweet," she said, listening to his heart beat. "But you don't remember it? None?" "Sorry, I don't." Bellum sighed. "Well, if I have to, I'll start over with you. I've been through a lot with you, and I won't let it go. None of it." She raised her head, and looked up at him. She moved his hand to the small bubble of a stomach she had. "This will be a baby in 8 months. In 8 months we'll have a new baby. This is your baby. Our baby. I want you to remember everything I've said tonight, and everything we do... So if by chance your memory doesn't come back, we'll have this to dwell on..." Cate didn't give him a chance to reply. She kissed him, and sat up. She pulled him up, and kissed him again. This routine seemed familiar to Bellum, however, very vaguely. But he could figure out what to do... he was after all, male... ~*~ It was another day out and about for Nita, Bridgett, Paige, and Dominic. They were exploring the neighborhood to see if there were any other children their age. They could usually tell by the yards, as they were slightly messier, as if a child had destructed them. There were toys occasionally sprawled out to indicate this too. But so far, there was no luck, until they came to a large stone house... Paige pressed the doorbell button, there was a screeching noise, and a boy with tanned skin and black hair answered the door. He stuck his nose in the air, and eyed up Paige, who was standing directly in front of him. He surveyed her companions, and said in a very snooty tone, with a Spanish- accented voice, "Yes? What do you want?" "Er..." Paige started. "We were wondering if you wanted to play with us. I'm Paige Pugnare. This is Dominic Hanwort, this is Bridgett Black, and Nita Potter." He stuck a hand out carelessly for Paige to shake. "Ricardo Cortez." he said, addressing himself. He looked at Nita. "Potter?" "Yes, is there a problem?" she asked quickly. "Black?" he looked at Bridgett, who glared at him. He turned to Dominic then. "Never heard of you before Mr. Hanwort." "I'm related to her and her." Dominic pointed to Paige and Bridgett. "I suppose that makes me Paige's Great-Uncle. And Bridgett's uncle." "Yes, I've heard about the estranged Black family... and Pugnare... and Potter. My sister is dating who I believe, Miss Black, is your older brother, Bryce. I also believe she hates his twin, Brynn." "Reina?" Bridgett sighed. She hadn't heard of anything but the Reina Wars from Brynn and Bryce. "Yes." Ricardo answered snootily. "I have no time for people such as you. However, Miss Pugnare, if you reconsider your social status, come visiting again. Goodbye." He slammed the door in their faces, and they stood staring. "Well, I'd rather be a friend with a Mountain Troll than be his friend." Paige snorted. "Got quite an ego that one, he does." "You can say that again..." Dominic said. "Well, let's try the next house... Never mind, that's another dark, gloomy one... Let's find a different neighborhood..." The four hurdled over things, pretending to be agents. Double-O- 1, 2, 3, and 4. They pretended to talk through pretend walkie-talkies, and be on a 'mission' to find Dominic another guy to chum around with. The girls felt sorry for him being the only boy. "Look!" Bridgett pointed. "The McKenzie house! I think there's a boy our age there..." "Race ya all!" Paige shouted, taking off like a rocket. She leaped up the stairs of a large white house, and knocked on the door. A blonde boy answered it, and looked at the four of them, all out of breath, except Paige, who had had some time to rest. "Uh... Hi?" he said, by means of confused greeting. "Hello!" Paige chirped. "I'm Paige Pugnare. This is Nita Potter, Bridgett Black, and Dominic Hanwort." "Hello." the boy said pleasantly, brushing down his blonde hair. "I'm Maxwell... Maxwell McKenzie. Call me Max... Um, please?" "Okay Maxwell!" Bridgett grinned. Max rolled his eyes, and sighed. "Well, Bridge wanna walk on in??" he said, emphasizing the word 'Bridge.' "Sure thing!" Bridgett replied, and the four entered the McKenzie home. Max looked at them, and Paige pretended to shoot him with an imaginary gun. He gave her a look that said quite plainly that he thought she was strange. "Mum, there are kids here!" he shouted, and a blonde woman and baby appeared in front of him. "Um, this is Paige." he pointed to Bridgett. "This is Bridgett." he pointed to Nita. "This is Nita." He pointed to Bridgett. "And this is Dominic." he pointed (correctly) to Dominic. "Um... I'm Paige." Paige said, thrusting a hand forward for Max's mother to shake. She signaled to Bridgett and Nita, to correctly identify them. "This one here is Nita, and this is Bridgett... And yes, that is Dominic." "Well, hello darlings!" Mrs. McKenzie said cheerily. "Would you like some milk?" The baby goggled at them, and Paige was reminded greatly of Jack. "Uh, no thanks, mum." Max replied. "I'll show them the outdoors." "Yay! The great outdoors..." Dominic smiled. He looked out the nearest window, and sighted a few trees and a pond. Max pulled them all out the back door, and Paige started off for a tree. Nita shot after her, and Bridgett grabbed hold of Dominic and thrust him in the pond. He shouted, and shivered in the freezing cold water. Max stared at them, and climbed up the same tree as Nita and Paige. Dominic had dragged Bridgett in with him as well, and looked as if he were trying to drown her. Paige was standing high on a branch in the tree of her choice, perfectly balanced, and grinning. Nita gasped, and stuck out an arm to stop Max from climbing. Paige grinned once more, and waved. "Paige.... NO!" Nita shouted, as Paige jumped from the branch into the pond. There was a large splash, and a scream from Bridgett and Dominic. Lucky enough for Paige, the pond was deep. The water was deeper than she was tall, and it made for a nice swimming hole. Paige laughed at the look on Nita's face, and called up to the two in the tree, "Come on down! Jump!" Nita looked down, her glasses falling off. Max scuttled by her, and cannon balled into the pond. Something told her he had done this before... She folded her glasses, making it harder to see, and jumped herself. Paige dragged them all up over and over to jump. "Lake Maxwell." she declared, once they were all tired out, and wet on every inch of their skin. Max didn't seem to notice the seaweed he had sticking to his blonde hair. Paige laughed. "That's hat we'll call it. In honor of our new friend." "Uh... Mac's already claimed this lake. It's called 'The not-so-secret Secret Lake.' They were creative, eh? I think those are your siblings... He nodded to Bridgett and Paige." "Brynn and Bryce are mine." Bridgett sighed. "We're all named with a 'Br' at the beginning of our name... except Cate. Cate's my sister, and Paige's mother. Ethan is her brother." Paige's dark brown eyes flashed gold. She took a seat on the grass, and motioned for everyone else to sit down. "OooOooO... Guess what?!" "What?" they all said in unison. They were in for another 'Paige Story,' which usually involved Paige talking for long periods of time and no one else could ever have a chance to speak. But Max didn't know this. "My daddy's lost his memory!" "Oh, I knew that." Nita said, looking at the funny looks on Dominic, Bridgett, and Max's faces. "He was across the yard, and my mum brought him in to make sure our nasty neighbor wouldn't take him captive." "Yeah." Paige said. "Mom is really crabby, and she's mad. I think your neighbor had better hurry and move out. But them we went to the doctor's and they said daddy is insane or something and mommy's baby I going to be fine still, and they gave mum medicine, and dad said they were trying to steal his brain, and me an' Jack were standing there watching it all, and mum took us home, and locked herself in a room with dad, and daddy locked himself in another room, and they both woke up alot happier this morning, and then I went to see Bridgett, and grandpa and grandma, and they gave us some candy. And-" "Okay Paige... that's enough." Dominic said. Max, however, seemed interested. "So your dad is like, crazy?" he asked, grinning. "Just like Paige..." Bridgett commented. Paige slugged her on the arm. "Yeah, and mum's nuts. She's complaining that she's getting fatter again, and-" "Yeah, yeah.... Her parents are both nuts." Nita said. "Our parents don't get along. Well, our fathers do... but don't put our mothers in the same room, unless you want a war to break out. Cate bears a grudge..." "So does Meagan." Paige finished. "We aren't supposed to be friends, me and Nita, but we don't care. We spend time at Bridgett's house." "And I meander around with the girls. There aren't any boys in the neighborhood." Dominic sighed. "And these girls are related to me... Well, Bridge and Paige are anyways." "Don't feel bad!" Max laughed. "All I have for a neighbor is Reaky Rico. He's so snobby. I can't stand him." The other four burst into laughter. "Reaky Rico?" Nita squealed. "Ricardo Cortez?" "That'd be Rico. He thinks he's better than us. He doesn't even play Quidditch!" Max laughed . "We don't like his family here. We're invited to luncheons and brunches sometimes... It gets ugly..." "I can imagine that." Dominic sighed. "Hey, uh, we gotta go." Bridgett said. "It's almost lunch time. We'll see ya tomorrow Max!" "Bye you guys... and girls!" ~*~ "Remember anything?" was the first question uttered by Cate in the morning. "Uh-uh." Bellum groaned back. He put a pillow over his face and went back to sleep. He rolled over... a bit too far, and tumbled off the bed. Cate shook her head. "Well, I suppose we too must just join the world." she muttered, rather angrily. She sat up, and magically dressed herself, leaving Bellum to dress and figure things out himself... ~*~ "I.... Hate... Snape..." Brynn hissed through gritted teeth. "What's it his business to take points off because Jeff can't subtract simple equations to find the ingredients? What's it his business that we happen to have social lives, and he does not?" "Uh... Brynn?" Ethan asked. Brynn stopped walking, and glared at him. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were lit with rage. "Maybe it wasn't exactly wise to tell him he's an old greasy git that needs to have his hair washed, and his head examined." "So what." Brynn muttered. "He didn't need to take off 200 points. ANNNNNND another 25 for Bryce letting off a firework." Bryce shrugged, and added, "And Mac letting the live beetles loose for another 20 points." "And Ethan turning Tony into a slug." Mac added finally. "For a whopping 100." "Maybe we'll win the lottery." Brynn sighed. "Maybe we'll have a fun time in detention!" she said this with a sarcastic tone that showed her unhappiness. "We can bring a scrapbook... of when mum and dad were in school!" Bryce said eagerly. "That'd piss him off!" "I wanna keep my head, thank you." Brynn hissed. "This calls for a Snape- prank... tonight...." "What are we going to do?" Mac asked. "Well, with a little help from my dear little brother an his friends, we can work it all out...." Brynn grinned dangerously, her eyes flashing. She laughed madly, and took off suddenly. Ethan sighed. Would the madness never end? It appeared not, as one of those Weasley Quints raced by with Felicity's schoolbag. The poor child was frozen dead in his tracks, and Felicity waved her hand, taking back her book bag. She added a jolt of pain, and the unfortunate quintuplet unfroze with a start, looking around for Felicity, who had disappeared. He muttered something, and started off in the direction Brynn and went. ~*~ "Oh, that's right..." Cate laughed, leaning over a newspaper. She was in the basement of a library, and she had brought Bellum and Jack along. They were amusing themselves in the Children's section, while she examined old newspapers. "I know who you are... You can't hide this embarrassing little fact, Agatha." Her gaze was once again fixed on the newspapers, and she looked at one of the subtitles... "Gilderoy Lockhart and daughter Agatha perform in children's production 'The Magical Mohawk.' There was a picture of Lockhart, and a small blonde girl. Why was this so shameful? Years before, Gilderoy Lockhart had been caught full-on in another one of his hoaxes. The entire world learned that he was very magically inept, practically a squib, and was not writing of his very own adventures. Of course he didn't know the truth, as his memory had been modified himself. But his mind had still worked the same way, but he could not properly execute a memory charm correctly. He had been forever shamed as a loser, and a thief. No one wants anything to do with the shame... Yet he had a daughter, and had been divorced from his wife for years now. This daughter was Agatha. Also possessing no great magical talent, Agatha went to singing, and trying to find herself a man to make herself famous enough. Her first thought was Harry Potter. He certainly was famous... Then she realized he had a wife, only after meeting Meagan. Then Meagan led her to Cate. Cate was at this point the most famous person in the wizarding world. No one knew as much of her husband, but it certainly would create a scandal if she crated something with Bellum. Stealing Cate's husband would skyrocket her to fame as well... though perhaps not the right kind. Cate had figured this out. Agatha was nothing more than a fly. Meagan had humiliated her, and now it was her turn... and she was positive Agatha would get her fame.... and it certainly would not be the good kind... She looked around the library basement. It was rather chilly, and she had found what she had wanted. It was time to gather her husband and small son... It wasn't a challenging task. A crowd of cooing women were cradling Jack, goggling about how adorable he was. Cate sighed, and approached the group. "Excuse me, but that's my son." she said hastily, making a grab for Jack. "No..." said one protective woman with red hair. "He's mine. "Cate glared. Some people could be so stupid. "That is my baby. His name is Jack. He is barely a year old, and I wish to have him see many more years. How old are you?" "28." the woman answered. "Well, would you like to live to see 29?" Cate glared murderously at her, and the woman passed Jack over. "That's what I thought... BELLUM!" She turned to the children's reading section, where a pile of books surrounded Bellum. He was reading one with great interest. Cate grabbed his arm, and pulled him off. "No! Wait!" he cried. "I wasn't done! I wanna see what happens to Kay lee and Kevin, the magical kitty cats! Bertie the doggie was going to chase them and they-" "I don't care what happens to Kay lee and Kevin." Cate growled. "The magical kitty cats!" "Whatever. Just come along. We have work to do." "Can we get a magical kitty cat too?" "No." "What about a cookie? Can we have a cookie?" "No." "But I read about-" "Shut up... Just shut up for five minutes..." "Four five minutes? That's a long time. That's almost an hour!" "NO! For... five... minutes. Five minutes. Keep yourself silent five minutes!" "Oh... well- anyways..." ~*~ The familiar girl with the brown hair and eyes was visible once again. She was a memory, nothing more than a memory... But to a certain person, the memories haunted her throughout her life. But the memories were real, and did alter the future... It made her think of things... and brought on strong feelings of hatred, and misery. By now, you may have guessed this person to be Cate... and the memory of her old self... The girl was alone in a dark hallway, perhaps a school hallway. When she exhaled, her breath was visible in the form of a mist; it was obviously cold out. She shivered, and looked around. A crowd of girls passed her and lowered their voices to a whisper. The cast a glance at her, and hurried on faster. The girl pulled her black cloak closer to herself. "Cate?" came a soft whisper from somewhere in the shadows. The girl's head turned, and a gloved hand reached out. "Zach?" she asked. "What do you want with me? She lit her wand, and followed the boy into the darker corridor. The boy turned around, his blue-gray eyes piercing Cate's dark brown ones. "Just to talk to you. I haven't talked to you in a long time!" Cate glared at him. She closed her eyes, gave a growl of frustration, and turned on her heels. Zach grabbed her arm, and held her back. "Listen Cate. This just can't keep going on. I'm your friend one day, the next day I'm not." "I think you can answer that. Making bets on me again? Your crowd of friends giving you money to see how close you can get to me? Yes, I know. You have a game. I'm one of those intimidating people, who's different, and slightly more powerful. Isn't that right?" Cate paused, to watch the blonde boy stutter, and mutter. "Yes, we were friends until the accident, where Missy was killed. Just couldn't handle the pressure? Scared?" "No!" Zach protested. He scratched his blonde hair, and sighed. "Come on... just..." "I have nothing good in my life. Even when I go home, no one loves me. And no one ever truly will." "That's not true! Cate, listen. You can't kill yourself. Even I, Zachary, have a conscience. I'd never live it down if you actually died. I can tell you things. Cate.. Dammit... Listen to me!" Cate had turned away, and started to walk again. Zach dashed in front of her, and said something to her that mad her gasp. "Your family isn't your family... Someone else is wishing you were theirs." "And how do you know?" she hissed. At this point in time, she believed anything. But it was this that kept her from ending her own life... "Divination, Cate. You should trust the Professor more. He's trying to help you..." "Help me perish?" "No, help you stay alive... You've got talent. You're brilliant! Quidditch! You can't just give it all up!" Cate hadn't thought about that. She bit her lip, and looked at Zach. He was a backstabbing, horrible, mean fair weather friend, yet he had saved her from herself.... ~*~ Cate woke with a start, and looked at Jack, who was cradled in her arms. He was a sweet little baby, and was forced out of his crib for the night. She was sitting with him in the nursery. The reason she held Jack was simple... His crib was already occupied... by his own father. A grown man, sleeping in the crib. Cate could see it buckling under his weight... Sometimes these things made her wonder... "Daddy's goofy, Jack." she whispered to her son. It really wasn't much of a use, as he was asleep anyways. She carried him over to the crib, and gave one of Bellum's legs a kick. He didn't fit fully in the crib, and Cate wondered why he was even there in the first place. He groaned, and tried to hoist himself out. But there was no use for Cate to try and deny it; her husband was stuck in a crib... "Bellum!" she hissed, not wanting to wake Jack. "Why?" "I was curious." he grunted. Cate groaned, and the frame snapped, crashing on the floor. On the lighter side, Bellum was free. But on the darker side, the crash was loud, and Jack had started to cry. Paige hurried into the room a few minutes later only to discover her mother trying to calm the baby, and Bellum rubbing his head. She quietly departed, and went back to her room, to try and get a small bit of sleep.... ~*~ "Alright." Brynn said, a map in hand. She pointed at Bryce. "Dispatch the Minions." Bryce nodded. He nodded to Crystal, Brian, Fred, and George. They followed him out the portrait hole, and he returned a few minutes later. Brynn turned to Ethan. "You have those shoes?" she asked. Ethan held up the shoes, which they had gotten through cooperation of Crystal. This, they had said, was going to be one of the best things ever pranked upon the poor, slimy Professor Snape. The eager Modern-day Marauders had wanted to take part. But Brynn had a certain something planned for them since the beginning... They were going to keep Snape busy. "Map?" She asked, and Mac held up the Marauder's Map, also property of Crystal. Though the Blacks claimed it was theirs as well as hers, she still had it n her possession most of the time. The shoes had belong to Lizzie, but were a gift to Meagan. So Crystal kept these wonderful items safely in her trunk in the 2nd year girls' dorm... "Bag of goodies?" All three of her male companions grinned, and she let out a short laugh. "Then follow me boys.... To the secret lair of Professor Severus Slime ball Snape..." The boys looked at each other, beginning to wonder if Brynn was insane. Maybe if they hit her hard on her head... she'd act normally again. Well, Brynn never was normal in the first place, so... "Just pull the cloak on." She ordered. She snatched the shoes from Ethan, who made a mad grab to get them back. "Hey! How come you get the shoes?" He pouted. "Because I said so." "Yes, oh Fearless Leader..." Brynn also took the map, which was her only way of knowing where the boys were. As they turned out of the portrait hole, Brynn quietly whispering directions out loud, and watching the dots on the map all try and turn a separate way, and then heard whispers from the boys. Eventually, they arrived in front of a very regular looking door. Brynn pulled off her shoes, and came into view at once. The boys followed suit, and tossed off the cloak. "Gimme the lock picks. Snape's got this sucker magically locked dup good... But it can still be picked..." She took the lock pick from Mac, and in a few seconds, she turned the handle of the door, and it opened with ease. The room was candle-lit, but still very dark and dreary. There was no one there, they had all made sure of that... "Welcome," Brynn smiled, her eyes flashing gold. "To the lair of the Grease ball. That's right... Snape's quarters!" "Wicked." the boys said, in awe. They had never been there before, and it was perhaps the only place in the castle they hadn't ventured forth into. Brynn smiled, and took the bag from Mac, and looked around. "Well, we'll work this out as we go along. Just start dining, boys...." ~*~ "Hey Snape!" Crystal yelled, from under the Invisibility cloak. This cloak had belonged to her father, and her grandfather before him. Ethan also had one, but no one really knew where it came from. He had come across it in the large attic in his mansion. It was the old Black manor, and it was centuries upon centuries old. Professor Snape, who was out patrolling the corridor, froze. He looked around, his eyes trying to see something that wasn't visible. Brian grinned, and nudged Crystal, who was fighting a laugh. In another minute, Snape would walk into their trap... "Who's there?" he snapped. From the distance, the four Modern Day Marauders could see his nostrils flare. It looked like he was trying to smell them out with his overly large nose... But he took one step too far. Something snapped, and he snapped out of his deceiver mode immediately. He found himself knee-deep in mud. Very thick mud... He gave a cry of frustration... well, tried to anyways. He discovered that his mouth was closed together, magically. he looked up, which was also a mistake, because as he looked up, a glittering dust fell upon him. This turned his hair hot pink, and in lopsided pigtails. A muddy, pink, distressed Snape in pigtails! This was something the Modern Day Marauders had to remember forever... And hey, a picture is worth a thousand words. Fred handed the camera to Brian, who snickered, and snapped a few photos. The four decided to watch a it longer, and leave Snape to fend for himself.... ~*~ Giggling madly, Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac waltzed corridor to the Great Hall. There was a loud roar of excitement that could be heard from their position behind the doors. Brynn smiled at her friends, who broke into immediate laughter. Brynn took a deep breath, and with a flourish of her hands, she shoved open the doors. The laughing hall turned to watch as music started, and the four marched in. The Hall rolled their eyes. The twins had rather large egos, and Mac and Ethan were almost the same. Then they turned back around, and laughed again. Everywhere, on the statues, in the air, on a few teachers, under the tables... there was.... underwear. Underwear and socks, some smelled quite badly (A/N-Cathy: Don't that give ya horrible mental images?), and others appeared clean. There were polka dotted boxers, and tighty whities. The socks ranged from black, to neon pink and green. Every student, and almost everyone else found it incredibly funny. But one Professor did not... Red faced, looking down, and stabbing his toast brutally was Professor Snape. Brynn looked over at him from her seat, and laughed. But this was not all... For the prank had not ended. Mac nudged her, as all the underwear and socks began to fly upward, and form words in the air. S... was the first letter. The hall looked around, bewildered. A pink thong started to form the second letter... E... The hall watched in wonder as the other letters of the phrase. The Black twins, Mac, and Ethan laughed madly at their own work, as the underwear and socks finally stopped moving. Now they read: SEVERUS SNAPE. Enraged, and utterly mortified, Snape stood up to leave the Hall. Brynn quickly whispered a spell under her breath, "Vox." She said, changing her voice. "Whassa matter Professor?" she called loudly. This voice was deep and husky. "No more clean underwear for you to wear this morning?" She hid behind Mac, and Snape looked around, a look of pure rage and fury on his face. Most of his hair was black again.... Black and going gray that was. He whispered something to Professor Dumbledore, and stormed off. Dumbledore stood up, and cleared his throat. "Professor Snape will be taking a personal day." He announced, and sat back down. He looked at Brynn, collapsed on the floor. She shook her head, and changed her voice back. Perhaps they should grab a quick breakfast and get off to their classes, before they revealed anything... Of course Snape couldn't take points from them, with Dumbledore there, and no way to prove they had been the culprits. There were many people that could have done it... But it was between them and the Modern Day Marauders... ~*~ "Well, today's the day. The fateful day..." Cate sighed, looking outside. "Bellum, are you awake yet?" "Mmrrggll..." Bellum mumbled, rolling of the bed. "Yeah." Cate was already dressed, and had pulled her smooth hair back into an intricate braid, and piled on the top of her head. Her growing waistline prevented her from showing of her usually very well toned tummy, and other aspects of her body. Her apparel was a pair of loose robes. Cate didn't like robes as much as she liked regular clothes, but the red robes would have to do. Her make-up was still typical, and she still looked wonderful, pregnant or not. "Well get dressed." she hissed. "I'll get Jack and Paige." "Where are we going?" He asked stupidly, pulling on pants to wear under his own robes. "For revenge..." she grinned. "Revenge..." ~*~ The press had found a way to follow her. Cate still hadn't figured out how they stalked her so, and caught her every move on their notepads, and snapped pictures right and left. In a simple drive, off to the 'unknown,' there were three cars with the Press. Cate hated to be photographed when she was pregnant. It didn't help her self-esteem much; but her self-image was already high enough. Much to the press's surprise, Cate jerked the car into the driveway of Agatha Windle. She un-strapped Jack from his car seat, and helped Bellum open the door. He was having quite a time with it. Paige let herself out easily, and followed her mother to the front door, dragging her father along. Cate knocked thrice, and very quickly. A few minutes later, Agatha herself answered the door. She looked to Cate in surprise, and then to Jack, Paige, and Bellum. She fluttered her eyelashes, and then caught sight of the press. She shoved Cate out of the way, brushed past Bellum, and waved to the reporters, who looked bored by her. "Hello!" she said, over dramatically. "Welcome to my residence. Do you wish to catch a sneak-preview of my new soundtrack?" The reporters all looked at each other, clearly at loss of words. One of them, a man in his middle ages, spoke up. "We were hoping to speak to Cate." Agatha glowered at Cate, and turned to smile at the reporters. "Actually, Cate is one of my long-time fans, and we visit constantly." Cate's jaw dropped, and she shifted Jack onto her other hip, and walked beside Agatha to speak up. "Excuse me." she said smoothly. "I think not. I've never even heard your music, which I am sure sound quite awful. But I am, however, here to see you." Agatha glared. Again. She suddenly wished the press would leave. She smiled at Bellum, who cowered behind Cate. "Well, whatever for?" "To tell you face-to-face that you should leave my husband alone. You could have killed him by hitting him with that tree branch, you do know. He remembers nothing, which I am quite sure that is what you intended for to happen. But it does befuddle me... How could someone so magically inept do such a thing as making a tree branch fall upon a person, and much the same getting the person there in the first place?" "No! I-I-I..." Agatha said, trying, and not succeeding, to sound aghast. "Why would I want to steal your husband?" Cate grinned. She had just proven herself right. "Well, well. I think we've gotten a confession. Are you getting this, oh wonderful press friends of mine? For I did not flat out accuse Ms. Windle here of trying to take my husband, but merely of knocking away his memory. But if she wishes to confess before I got to that point, fine by me." "You're a liar!" Agatha shouted. She had her eyebrows narrowed at Cate, and stomped on the ground. "Oh, I beg to differ." Cate chuckled. "See, all you wanted is fame. Your first attempt was the sad and sorry Harry Potter. I thought no one but Meagan had sunk that low. But here I was proven wrong. Once you decided that I was part of the picture, and had a better-looking husband, you changed your mind. This also could be because Meagan humiliated you at your own game." Agatha had no comment. She looked at the press and glared back at Cate, steaming mad. Still, Cate pressed on with her story. "So you, the mad singer, decided that I, Cate Pugnare was indeed more well known around the world even than Harry Potter. And I have a very lovely husband. But a very devoted husband. Then you considered that I stood in the way. But you could erase his every memory of me, and take him for yourself. Then you'd be famous.... Very famous. For stealing my husband. Then you'd have shamed me, and skyrocketed yourself to being well known. Tis' sad... But you'll get your fame... Let me share a few very interesting facts with you... First of all, Singer. That's just another word for magically inept. For just like your daddy... you must steal things from other people's things, stories, and lives to become famous. Just like daddy.... Isn't that right Agatha? Agatha LOCKHART?" Agatha gasped, and looked at the crowd. The reporters were scrawling things very quickly and bustling about. This truly was exclusive. They knew that Gilderoy Lockhart had been shamed, and shunned from the magical world for being a thief, and an idiot. From what Cate had just showed them, Agatha was just the same. Agatha, of course, could not deny it. She was indeed the daughter of Lockhart, but to save herself the shame, she had changed her name. "To save the shame, you changed your name." Cate smiled bemusedly. "Make a song outta that, eh Ms. Lockhart?" "ARGH!!!" Agatha shouted. She took a lunge at Cate, who side stepped her quickly. This time she didn't fall to the floor, but landed on Bellum, who was sitting on the ground petting a bug. He gave a shout of fright, and threw her off him. Now Agatha was covered in dirt, and it did look very much like she was trying to steal Cate's husband. Bellum grabbed Cate's sleeve, and hid behind her, though he wasn't hidden too well. "You horrible Bitch! You deserve to die! To ruin someone's career like that! What have I done to you?" "DO you honestly want me to say it aloud? To cause you even more embarrassment?" Cate sneered. Agatha called inside for her thin, ugly agent. "We're leaving... NOW! The movers can come by later. This country isn't safe, with her," she pointed at Cate. Then she directed a finger towards the Potter House. "And HER!" "Good luck finding someone famous who'll have you now! In fact, good luck finding anyone!" Cate smiled. It was a good day... Now all she needed to do was leave the press to do their job, and get her husband her memory back... ~*~ Cate had gone to tell her parents of her feat. She had also left Bellum home alone. To fend for himself. He was capable of that... Wasn't he? He peered out the window, with his 'Battle Helmet' over his head, falling down and making it hard to see. He took a deep breath, and was startled by a knock on the door. He answered it cautiously, and looked at the man with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. It was his next-door neighbor, and Athena's husband, Ryan Hanwort. "Allo' matey. The wife's out today?" he said cheerfully. "Yes..." Bellum said. "Cate says I'm supposed to be good. I-" "Well, we'll just have a few drinks, okay?" Ryan said. He clapped Bellum on the shoulder. Bellum had no recollection of what had happened the last time Ryan wanted a few drinks... So Ryan led him to the drinks cabinet, and poured him a drink, and one for himself. A few drinks turned into a few too many drinks, and by the time Cate arrived home, the house was a mess. She handed Jack to Paige, and told her to take him upstairs. She balled her fists, and looked around for her husband... "Bellum!" she shouted loudly. "BELLUM!" Bellum mumbled something, and rolled out in front of her. He smiled up at her, and waved. "Hello Catey Watey..." "Bellum, were you drinking?" she glared at him, knowing the answer. "Nice man Ryan is here..." he mumbled, his speech slurred. "Dammit!" Cate hissed, and peered around the corner. Ryan was gone, and there was a red drink spilled on the white carpet. It wasn't as bad as last time, as there were no children running around. Cate offered a hand to Bellum to help him up. He was swaying and almost fell over the few seconds he stood there. Cate however, didn't intend for him to stand too long. She had enough of this. She picked up a stray book, and whacked him over the head as hard as she could. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he waved at her as he fell over, out cold. She then spit on him, and walked away... Bellum woke about an hour later, rubbing his head. "Cate?" he muttered, getting up. "Honey, where are you?" He asked again, much to himself, walking up the marble stairs. He shook his head, and knocked on one of the doors. "What now?" Cate hissed, looking at him. "Can you tell me what I did this time? And why I don't remember the past few days?" "You were-" Cate started, then she stopped abruptly. "You mean you remember everything except the past few days then?" "Uh... yeah." Bellum said, giving her an estranged look. "You remember that we're married? And that we have children? And who you are? Who I am?" Cate said, visibly happier. "Yes, is there a reason I'm not supposed to?" he asked. "Well, you had amnesia for a bit... So you remember me?" "Yes, for the last time. I remember how great you are," he said, sweeping her off her feet and kissing her. He hoped he wasn't going to be punished for the messy house... Cate seemed far too delighted to punish him at the moment. "Dear Lord! You're back! Ha! you aren't insane!" "Are you sure you aren't?" Bellum teased, kissing her again. "Yes, positive. Well, I suppose I must tell you of all that's happened this past week then..." "It might help, dear. Did I do something stupid?" "Oh, you did more than one thing stupid...." ~*~ Ethan received a letter telling him that his father was once again insane. Felicity rolled her eyes at it, and went about her day as usual. Paige, however, found that she had lost one of her favorite talking points. Not everyone had a father with amnesia... But now it would be harder for her to sneak to the Potters' without getting caught... She would have to manage this little problem with the help of her friends Bridgett, Nita, Dominic, and Max.... 


	15. YOU?

Chapter 15 YOU!? September melted into October and Meagan was found at King's Cross, to see her husband home for the weekend. "Harry! Harry, darling, over here!" she called into cupped hands. She saw Harry materialize in front of the barrier of Platform 9 ¾. She ran up to him and kissed him, her swelled stomach getting in the way. Harry patted Meagan's stomach fondly. "You have thought of names, haven't you?" he asked. She nodded. "Abigail, Amy, Alicia, Amelia, Alberta, and Angelina." She said. "And Alan or Anthony for a boy." It was then she spotted Parvati Patil some ways away. "Parvati?" she asked. "Meagan?" Parvati asked. They gasped and embraced before they were lost in conversation. It was then Harry heard a call of, "Dudley! Dudley Dursley!" Harry looked around and saw a short, fat man with watery blue eyes and blonde hair. "Dudley?" gasped Harry, running over. The man saw Harry and, looking Harry's robes up and down, gasped, "Harry? Harry Potter?" Harry nodded. "Dudley?" he asked. Dudley nodded. "Oh, for the love of Quidditch!" Harry said as he looked at his cousin. "I thought you died," hissed Dudley. Harry gave him a grin. "No. I'm alive and well. I've got a lovely wife and a fabulous career of Quidditch. I also have-!" he was cut short when Dudley cut in. "Wife?" he sputtered. Harry ginned even wider. "Yes, I'll call her over." He said. "Meagan! Meagan! C'mere! I want you to meet someone!" Harry called, almost laughing. "Yeah?" Meagan replied, her voice full of mischief because of the way Harry had almost laughed. She waddled over and looked at Dudley. He recoiled, clutching his buttocks tightly. "Ahhh!" she said, "It's the infamous Dudley!" The first thing Dudley retorted was, "You're wife is fat." Meagan's eyebrows shot up. "I wouldn't talk, Mr. Fatso. I've heard of you, Dudley the Dimwitted, and I heard there's no light on in the attic." She said. It took a few minutes for Dudley to comprehend the insult that was just thrown at him. "Hey!" he said. "And, plus, I'm not fat. I'm expecting." She said. Dudley looked ready to faint. "Expecting? As in expecting a child?" he asked. Meagan nodded, as Harry patted her enlarged stomach. At that moment there came a high pitched shriek. Meagan looked around. She felt someone grip her knees. She looked down and saw Nita. "Niiiiiita!" called Jess. "We just want to plaaaa-aay!" finished Jo. "Mum! The twins!" Nita said, gripping Meagan's legs tighter. "What now?" Meagan asked exasperated. Harry walked over, took both twins by the scruff of their necks, and brought them over. They looked "innocently" up at their parents. Meagan's eyes were red. "Argh!" yelled Dudley, spotting Meagan's eyes. "Her eyes! They changed color!" At the particular moment, both twin's eyes turned purple. They looked at each other and grinned. "He's. er. Uncle Dudley, I suppose. Well, your related to him in some way." Harry said. Meagan didn't like the way the twins were smiling. She clunked their heads together. "Now don't you two be stirring anything up." She said. They only grinned. She took them by the arms and said, "C'mon Harry, let's go before the twins do something to your cousin." Harry pouted. "But I want to set the twins on him!" he whined as he got dragged away. ~*~ "Harry, darling, there's an owl in the window!" Meagan shouted. Harry got the letter, petted it, and it flew away. He looked down at the letter. He opened the thick parchment envelope and read aloud: Dear Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter, You are cordially invited to Mrs. Hermione Darin's promoting to Minister of Magic. The party will take place on October 31st at 12:00 p.m. We hope to see you there. Sincerely, Jeremy Darin Jeremy Darin Head of the Department of Magical Cooperation Harry looked up, startled. "I knew that girl had it in her." Meagan said, looking the letter over. "It's tomorrow." He said. "Aww. man! That's when my powers go koo-koo!" Meagan said, slapping her forehead. Harry looked from a broken vase on the floor (probably broken by the twins) to a shattered window (caused by Agatha). Harry sighed. He didn't like Halloween as much anymore. All the muggle children always came knocking at their door with their most horrible images of witches and wizards. He shuddered. He hated when the little children came, with fake noses and warts on them. And the wizards with their tall star-encrusted dunce caps. And the wands. the horrible wands with stars on them. They were nothing like real witches and wizards! He sighed again. Tomorrow had to come! ~*~ "Welcome!" said a portly wizard at the door of an enormous hall. Meagan, her fingers shaking with anxiety, looked around the hall as she entered. She spotted Hermione on a chair that was levitated. "'Mione!" Meagan shouted. Hermione looked around the room for the familiar voice. "Hermione!" Meagan shouted again, waddling over to the chair. People gasped and stepped back as she made her way through the crowd. "That's Meagan Potter, all right!" she heard someone whisper. "MEAGAN!" shrieked Hermione. She almost jumped off the chair. The two friends hugged each other with some difficulty. "You're pregnant again!?" Hermione mused, standing back and looking Meagan up and down. "Yep." Meagan said, kissing Harry. "It's on to the A names." She said. "I had only one," Hermione said with a sigh. It was then Meagan saw Janie. "Why, hello there Janie." Said Meagan. "Why aren't you in school with the Modern-Day Marauders plotting another one of your little pranks?" Janie blushed. Hermione put her hand on her hips and started to tap her heel. "Was I not supposed to say that?" asked Meagan. Janie gave her a look that said, "Duh!" James Potter laughed. He had snuck out of the crowd and was now standing next to his son. "Don't worry, 'Mione, there's a batch of troublemakers in every generation. It just so happens it's in their genes. They can't help that now can we?" he said. "Our family has been a whole line of troublemakers!" he added, slapping Harry proudly on the shoulder. Harry grinned. "And with her as the mother!" James said, pointed at Meagan, who rolled her eyes. "I wonder what the others are doing," muttered Janie. ~*~ Crystal hopped around the common room, singing at the top of her lungs, deliberately making herself sing bad (Or it could be because you can't sing when your screaming the words). "ON THE FIRST DAY OF HALLOWEEN A ZOMBIE GAVE TO ME. AN OWL IN A DEAD TREE!" she howled. "MOONLIGHT! SHADDUP!" Fred howled back, throwing a cushion at Crystal. Crystal ducked and howled, "ON THE SECOND DAY OF HALLOWEEN A ZOMBIE GAVE TO ME. TWO BLACK CATS AND AN OWL IN A DEAD TREE!!!!!!!!" Brian covered his ears. Crystal came to the last part and yelled louder than she had done before: "ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF HALLOWEEN A ZOMBIE GAVE TO ME. TWELVE BANSHEES SCREAMING," Crystal sang. "YOU'RE A BANSHEE!" hollered George as Crystal continued to sing. "ELEVEN BATS A-FLAPPING! TEN HOWLING WEREWOLVES! NINE FLYING BROOMSTICKS! EIGHT GARGOYLES GARGLING! SEVEN SQUIDS A-SWIMMING! SIX HISSING VAMPIRES! FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE POOOOOOOOOOISONOUS POOOOOOOOOOTIONS! FOUR CALLING CROWS, THREE CACKLING PEEVES, TWO BLACK CATS, AND AN OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL IN A DEAAAAAAAAAD TREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Crystal did a split to top it all off. Brian uncovered his ears and sighed, "I thought you'd never finish." Crystal gave him a look. "Ahem, do you remember when you sang 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game'?" she asked. He blushed. "What are we wearing this year?" asked Fred. It was the first time this controversy came up and it was only moments before the feast/party began. "Er." Brian said. "I have an idea, if you'll listen." Said a voice. Crystal jumped and turned around. She looked at Neil. He was oddly pale and his eyes weren't sparkling anymore. She remembered Halloween morning last year when she woke up to find herself exhausted and that it hurt to use her powers. She shuddered. Neil threw something at Fred. Fred caught it and looked down, startled. He looked up at Neil, who was smiling. "What is it?" he asked. Neil's small smile broadened into a grin. "It's a boggart-cape," he explained, "It changes your shape into what the person you're trying to scare fears most." He distributed them among the Modern-Day Marauders. "Well," said Fred, pulling on the boggart-cape, "This will be interesting." ~*~ Neil floated into the hall, his long cape fluttering out behind him. Remus Lupin had taken a liking to him and had sent him the capes. Rachel was bouncing around the room. "BLRAAAAAA!" she yelled at Pandemonia, transforming into vampire. Pandemonia screamed and ran away. Rachel was laughing now. Neil shook his head, smiling, but not laughing. He fixed his eyes on the Modern-Day Marauders. They were running around wreaking havoc, as he had predicted. "RAAAA!" screamed Crystal, her face near Felicity's. Felicity screamed and pushed off the table, making her chair skid backwards. Crystal had turned into a werewolf, which totally petrified Felicity. Crystal threw her head back and howled, to add to the effect. Felicity got off her chair and ran. "These are the best costumes ever!" Brian said, moving about the crowd looking for Brynn and Bryce. Professor McGonagall was staring at them, her lips pursed. Crystal saw this and decided to have some fun. She got near enough to Felicity to be able to transform into a werewolf. She slinked around the crowd, eventually coming up to the staff table. "RAAAA!" Crystal shouted, jumping up behind Professor McGonagall. The professor turned around. Crystal felt her shape change. Professor McGonagall screamed as she faced an Acromantula. Crystal clicked the pincers menacingly. Professor Dumbledore turned around, saw her, and said with a smile, "Crystal, I think you've scared enough professors today." His blue eyes were sparkling behind his half-moon glasses. Crystal shrunk back to her regular self. "You seem just like your mother and grandfather. Seems they'd be the only ones to be as cunning as that." Professor Dumbledore said, trying and failing to conceal a smile. Crystal smiled at him, her purple eyes were sparkling. "Just like them, you are." He said again. Just then, the doors banged open, expelling a rather bedraggled Harry. He walked up, took his seat at the staff table, and sunk down into his seat. He had one hand over his heart and the other one had his wand. Crystal decided to have some fun with him. She glided over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and Crystal felt her shape change again. It took her a few moments to realize she was a Dementor. Harry's eyes fogged over as swirling white smoke filled his mind. He heard his mother screaming. He heard his own frightened cries. Shaking, he raised his wand and bellowed, "EXPECTO PETRONIUM!" A white blaze erupted from his wand tip. The sounds in his head grew fuzzy. Crystal tripped over the garment she was wearing. Her clammy hands hit the ground. People all around were staring. "You're a boggart!" Harry yelled, raising his wand. "DAD! NOOO!" Neil yelled, running forward. His cape fluttered out from behind him. He knew his powers hurt to use, but it was the only answer. In the blink of an eye, he was standing between Harry and Crystal. "DAD!" he yelled. Harry's wand came swishing down. Neil's green eyes were wide. He gritted his teeth. "DAAAAAAAAAD!" Harry stopped just in time. Shocked at seeing Neil, his wand flew out of his hand, expelling gold sparks. Crystal shrunk back to her regular self. She caught the wand. "Crystal?" asked Harry, "Neil?" Crystal got off the ground, shaking. Her eyes were electric yellow with shock. Neil's eyes were sparkling green and looking innocently up at his father. "CRYSTAL!" Brian yelled, and ran forward, followed by Fred and George. Crystal hopped off of the raised platform where the staff table rested. Everything was quiet except the pitter-patter of feet. Crystal turned, her cloak fluttering. "Sorry." She whispered. Taking advantage of everyone being quiet, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "It is time for the costume prizes. The scariest prize goes to. Felicity Pugnare!" she said. Felicity, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed, received her award. She was wearing the showy clothes Cate had worn when she had been evil, with a fake tattoo. Everyone recoiled as she walked past. "The most annoying award goes to. Brynn and Bryce Black!" Brynn ran forward, dragging her somewhat reluctant twin brother. They had found another Barney costume in the attic and decided to use them. They got their award and Brynn started to sing the Barney song. Bryce was sulking behind her. He didn't want to wear the costumes Brynn had picked out for him, but she had threatened to beat him up. "The costumes you would least like to see next year award goes to. Adam Blick!" Blick stepped forward, scowling at those who giggled at his name. He was wearing a gnome costume, picked out by Felicity, who had forced him to wear it. Crystal and the Modern-Day Marauders were positively howling with laughter. "The best monster costume award goes to. Nina Longbottom!" Nina come forward. She herself looked scared of her costume. She was wearing a Hippogriff costume, which looked incredibly real. She got her award and ran to the girls' bathroom to tear her costume off. "The best overall costumes. Crystal and Neil Potter, Fred and George Weasley, Brian Black, and Rachel Yellington!" Professor McGonagall looked quite winded after saying all the names. Crystal ran forward and accepted her award. Harry put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. The Modern- Day Marauders, along with Neil and Rachel, put their arms in the air, filled with pride and triumph. "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" yelled Rachel Yellington. ~*~ Meagan tossed in her sleep. She had a half-smile on her face. She was remembering the first time she became friends with Marykate. ~*~Flashback~*~ Ring! Ring! Meagan opened her eyes. She squinted through the light. She glanced at her clock, still wincing. It read 7:34 a.m. She groaned. Ring! Ring! "All right! All right! I'm getting up!" croaked Meagan. She swung her legs out of bed. She reached out and grabbed the telephone. "Hello- oooooooo?" she asked, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. "Hi." Came the reply. "Marykate?" Meagan gagged. "Yeah. I need the homework for Monday." Marykate said. "Marykate," Meagan said breathlessly, "It's 7:36. On a SATUDAY." She listened to the silence on the other end. "I happened to notice that." Marykate said. Meagan cocked her head to the side, remembering what IT had said. "There will be others with you. by the names of Marykate Casper and Michael Shoemaker." "Today's your 11th birthday, isn't it?" she asked. "No," said Marykate sarcastically, "It's my 2nd birthday. Yes, it's my 11th birthday, you dolt!" Meagan swallowed hard. "Well, the homework is-!" she began to say, but Marykate cut in. "You already told me." She said. Meagan's eyebrows shot up. "No I didn't." she said. "Yes you did," "No I didn't." "Did too!" "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did not!" "Wait a minute. this could go on all day if we didn't stop." Marykate said. Meagan rubbed her eyes and reached out her hand to get changed. There was a popping noise and she was fully clothed and properly groomed. It shocked her for a moment, but then she remembered what it was. "You know what, I'll be right over." Meagan said. "'Kay." Marykate said. Meagan hung up the phone. She ran down the corridor of her house. Her spring coat fluttered to her as she ran past the coat rack. She grabbed it and ran out the door. Marykate was waiting for her when she reached her neighbor's house. "About time." Marykate said. Meagan humphed. Marykate led Meagan into the house, up the stairs, and into Marykate's room. Marykate shut the door. "My family," she said, "Never wakes up early." Meagan snorted. "Neither do I. You just woke me up." She said, "But that's not why I came over. It's because of." she stopped for a moment, wondering if Marykate would call her mad, "Our powers." Marykate stood agape for a moment. Then, she burst out laughing. "I don't think it's very funny. IT sent me." Meagan said hotly, her eyes red. She pointed at a pillow, which shook violently and flew at Marykate. Marykate stopped laughing. "Hey!" she said, her own eyes red. Meagan, her tongue between her teeth, concentrated hard and clicked her fingers. A mirror appeared in her hand. Marykate's eyes turned yellow. Meagan showed. "HOLY MONKEYS!" Marykate said, jumping back. Meagan laughed and chuckled, "Holy monkeys." "A-are you serious about t-those powers you-you were t-talking about?" Marykate asked quietly. Meagan nodded mutely. Marykate made a whimpering sound and sank down onto her bed. "IT'll come to you in a dream tonight and ask you to join ITs service." Meagan said. "What is this it thing you talk about?" Marykate asked. "IT," Meagan said, "Is a beautiful horse. A flying horse-." Marykate cut her off, "Pegasus." She said. "Pegasus," Meagan corrected, "and IT's for everything that's good. Are you going to accept?" Marykate was flexing her fingers. "Yeah." She said, "Yes." Meagan held out her hand. Marykate looked at it. She reached out a shaking hand and shook Meagan's. "Friends?" Meagan asked, squeezing Marykate's fingers gently. "Friends." Marykate said. They embraced. ~*~ Brynn swung her bat heavily at Bryce. Bryce ducked and swung at Brynn. She ducked and she chased him around the Quidditch pitch, while Austin Wood yelled at them to come down. The twins landed, looking satisfied with themselves. At that second, Neil and Crystal came padding towards the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Harry with them. "What are they doing here?" blurted Mac. "I'm a reserve Chaser!" chirped Crystal, hopping on her Lightning and floated there. Mac looked a Neil, who nodded and said, "Reserve Seeker." "I'm allowed to show you some moves that I used when I was on the team." Harry said. "Like the time I won the cup in third year." He said, a faraway look on his face. He got off his broom and kicked off. He remembered the moves he had perfectly. He preformed them all and dived. "WOW!" yelled Mac. Crystal laughed and flew over to her father. "He's the one and only Harry Potter!" she said. Harry zoomed past Mac on his Lightning. He grinned. The broomstick had been named after him and his scar. They were coming out with a new one that summer, the Lightning 2000. He dived. "What are you all waiting for? As my old pal Oliver Wood would say, 'Let's get a move on'!" ~*~ Meagan yawned, stretched, and itched her arm wearily. She had large bags under her eyes and was extremely tired and didn't bother to brush her hair before going out to get the newspaper. She pulled on a robe that would normally have fitted her and opened the door to retrieve her newspaper. "BLEARG!" she yelled, almost falling over backwards. She was seeing stars. No, wait. they weren't stars! They were flashes. She rubbed her eyes vigorously and looked at the hundreds of news reporters. Her muggle neighbors across the road were staring. Meagan slammed the door shut, clicked her fingers, changed and fully groomed herself, and opened the doors again. "Hello." Meagan said, rather grumpily. "What's the meaning of standing on my front lawn until I come down to get my newspaper?" She looked around, looking for an answer. "That." Said one young news reporter. His cameraman elbowed him in the ribs. Meagan looked down to see a large package on her lawn. She picked it up, glaring at it as if it had something dangerous in it. She opened it, revealing a large trophy. Meagan's countenance expression changed from suspicion to a childish delight. The trophy read "Witch of the Year" on it. Cate had one this once before, but after she hadn't shown up at the awarding ceremony because she didn't want to and never got it again. Jo and Jess crept out of the house and peered around their mother. "Meagan Potter has received this 'Witch of the Year Award' on this 1st day of November for being an outstanding mother, a spectacular Quidditch player, and a wonderful wife." Meagan read aloud. Jo and Jess jumped out from behind their mother at the "outstanding mother" part because they clearly thought it meant just them. Meagan put her arm around Jo and waved the award around. She spotted Cate sulking around the crowd and grinned even wider. "YEAH!" she said, jumping up and down. Jess patted her mother's swelled tummy. "She's the one and only Meagan Potter and her kid on the way." She said. ~*~ Nita ran through the crowd of reporters. 'Paige?' she inquired telepathically. 'Nita?' replied Paige. "Over here!" Nita yelled. Paige, recognizing Nita's voice, ran over. Paige and Nita spotted each other and Nita mouthed (for no apparent reason) "To the house!" Nita appeared in the house and Paige appeared a fraction of a second later. "Do you think this is going to make your mother even madder?" asked Nita anxiously, looking out the window. Paige glanced half-heartedly out and nodded gloomily. "Undoubtedly." She said. Nita reached in her pocket and took two necklaces out. She handed one to Paige. Paige looked down at it. It was half a broken heart. It was golden and gleaming magically, with the word "Friend" etched in it. Its delicate golden chair seemed to be so fragile that it was spun by magic. Paige looked up, awed by the wonder of the beautiful little trinket. Nita was putting hers on. Hers was identical to Paige's except the fact it read "Best" and its broken part was facing the left, not the right. Nita smiled at Paige's awed look. "So that we'll always be friends." She said. Nita took Paige's necklace gently and put the two half-hearts together. They glowed and played a classical song. "Hedwig's Theme by the wizard composer John Williams." Said Paige, identifying the song. Nita nodded. "I hope we'll always be friends." She said. "I do too." Said Paige. 


	16. That's what I Meant to Say

Chapter 16 That's what I meant to Say Brynn sat in the Common Room of Gryffindor by herself. She didn't know where the boys were, and actually was rather thankful to get away from them for a bit. Halloween had been rather frightening. Even Ethan had seemed quite frightened, and he had been Barney the previous year. At least these costumes were not, however, possessed. She still recalled the possessed costumes. "I wonder what my dear insane family is up to..." she sighed, leaning back. She could put her time to better use, say doing her homework. But that could be done during class. She had it all mapped out. She did her History of Magic homework during Herbology, her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework (though they seldom ever had any)during Transfiguration, Transfiguration during Divination, and Divination during Muggle Studies... Of course they had other homework they had to work in, but that was another story.... "Dad's probably..." She stopped. "Dad's probably trying to subdue the little girls and Dominic that run about like wild boars. Mom is probably trying to subdue dad... who has probably joined them in mischief by now... Brooke is probably giggling, watching it all..." Brynn broke off. There was still Cate and Bellum to consider. And little Jack. Paige was probably at her house, causing problems, and Jack was probably asleep. He was either asleep or bringing more chaos to old Padfoot the dog. "Cate and Bellum..." she whispered to herself. She thought for a bit, and cringed. "I don't wanna know what they're up to..." ~*~ To keep it short, Brynn really didn't want to know. No one wanted to know. Apart from their usual mushy scenes Cate and Bellum had, they were... baking? Yes, that appeared to be the situation. But there was no food in the oven... it was all over Cate and Bellum. The moon cast a light through the window as Bellum sighed heavily and chucked a ball of dough at Cate. It landed directly in the middle of her face, and she looked at him menacingly. "That wasn't fair." Cate said shortly. She grinned, letting her eyes light up, and flicked her wrist. The messy kitchen was sparkling clean again, and she looked at Bellum. "To save you the trouble of cleaning it..." "Not this again." Bellum grinned back at her. "I remember the last time this happened..." "Well, I'm in a good mood tonight." Cate sighed, taking a bite of a banana. She tossed one to Bellum, and he stared at it. "Eat it." She ordered. "All right." Bellum said, giving Cate an odd look, and peeling the banana. He stuck his nose in the air and took a bite. "You are so weird. Remind me again why we're married..." Cate said playfully. Bellum turned circles, until he reached Cate, where at that point he wrapped her in his arms. "Perhaps it was my degenaro cunning? My striking looks? Exuberant personality? My idealistic manner? Take your pick Cate." "All of the above," Cate laughed. "And much more. You know perfectly well why I married you. You forgot the excellent conversation part. And all the other things I should not mention...." "Why is that?" Bellum questioned, raising his eyebrows, and pulling Cate closer to him. "Because Paige is standing right outside the kitchen door, watching us." "Er-" Bellum gasped, pushing Cate aside slightly. Paige was sill standing there, watching them with disgust. He laughed sheepishly and looked at his youngest daughter. "Paigie dear!" he said. "Umm..." Paige started. She looked at her mother, whose slip dress straps were well off her shoulders, the flour and dough all over her, and her father's hand, which was still clamped on her waist. She looked at her father, who had red lipstick... all over. They were both rather flushed. "I think I'll go now..." Bellum Cate glanced at each other. "Paige dear." Bellum said. "You know the deal here. Sorry that you were here... coming to eat." "Yeah, dad. Fine. But I'm not hungry anymore." Paige replied. "Maybe we should go to our room..." Cate suggested, as soon as Paige took off up the stairs. She jerked Bellum along with her, up the stairs to their bedroom... ~*~ Ever since the flying underwear incident, Snape had been quite irritable. More than usual, anyways. He gave extra long assignments to the Gryffindors, as he rightfully suspected Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac of the causes of the incident. "I know what you've done, Miss Black." he hissed in Brynn's face. "But I cannot give you detention, or take points off, because Dumbledore does not wish to side with me." "It wasn't me, sir." Brynn said, sounding very honest. She knew Snape wanted her to confess. Then the detentions would begin, and Gryffindor would be below zero in house points... "I know perfectly well that it-" "Wasn't." Bryce finished. "You have so much faith in your own house. I suggest you talk to the 3rd year Slytherins." Snape grumbled, making his way off towards the dungeons, leaving the four to find their way to their next class. Brynn rolled her eyes. "I tell you, he'd better watch out!" she said cunningly. "Or Severus Snape might one day become the Severe Snap." The boys snorted, as they all tried to go through the door to the History of Magic classroom at once. Brynn shook her head at them, and pushed them out of the way, taking a seat in the back, where she liked a seat in this class. It left her free to be bored, and concentrate on everything but History of Magic. Mac threw his books on the seat next to her, moved them, and sat down. Strangely, Bryce and Ethan followed this odd procedure, and smiled at the rest of the class. "The Banshees are-" Binns started. He never stopped either, but Brynn Black had her own commentary, and finished a lot of his sentences for him. "Boring, ugly, stupid... smelly." she said quietly to Bryce, Mac, and Ethan. "They are incredibly open-minded..." Binns droned forth. "Meaning what? All their brains fall out their open head?" Brynn commented. The three boys, and several others that were listening in snorted. "Once provoked they can-" "Open a jar of pickles? Clip their toenails? Brush their teeth?" Ethan snorted, and then pretended to cough heavily once Professor Binns paused to look at him. Brynn sunk down in her chair, secretly smiling to herself. However, Binns droned on. "They won the battle against-" "Flobberworms?" "And they lost then, and again in-" "They lost? Again?" "But they allied with the-" "Pretty Hufflepuffs? Ah, wait. None of them are pretty." Brynn sighed. "I think I'm losing my touch. Here we go... they allied with the--- Fluffy bunnies." "Together the-" "Ugly Banshees and Fluffy Bunnies-" "Gained control of-" "Flobberworm land." "And-" "Lived happily ever after?" "Your assignment is-" "To have a happy weekend?" "To have a happy weekend." The class stared at him. Not only had he failed to talk for the entire hour, but he had also given them an assignment. It certainly was a day of surprises. Perhaps there was something mentally wrong with the old ghost of a Professor. Well, whatever it was, the class liked it... The class spent the rest of the time talking. Ethan was having a conversation with his on-and-off girlfriend, Jocelyn. The two were not presently dating, but often acted like they would. Everyone wished they would just make up their minds, and date each other, or not date each other. Brynn was sitting on Mac, who had his arms around her. They looked younger than they actually were, somehow. Maybe it was the fact that one was being squashed, and the other was doing the squashing. Bryce was trying to figure out the 'mystery' of why a candle burns. Actually, he was just feeding the need for fire with that as an excuse to Professor Binns. Just before he lit an unsuspecting girl's hair alight, the bell rang, and they were set free. Knocking down Neil Potter on her hurried path outside, Brynn stopped for nothing. She hated sitting still and being cooped up all day long. Neil grumbled, and picked himself up, Rachel laughing at him. "Better watch it there!" she laughed. "I think you're the one who had better watch it!" Neil remarked. Not even two seconds later, Bryce knocked Rachel forward, and Neil gave a laugh. Then Mac rushed forward, and knocked he, Neil Potter, over on top of Rachel. Ethan paused to look at them, and carefully stepped over them, off to be with his friends. "Teenagers." Neil huffed. "They scare me." Rachel added. "I'd rather be this age all the time. They go on dates... They kiss each other... They're pretty scary if you ask me." "I think, Rachel, that you have just made a point. Congratulations on your first one ever..." ~*~ "My mum and dad are weird." Paige proclaimed to Nita, Bridgett, Dominic, and Max. "Last night, they were in the kitchen... kissing. They always kiss, but not in the kitchen. And daddy apologized. He's never apologized to be before for this sort of thing... I think they've gone mad." "I think they have too." Nita said firmly. "But aren't all parents?" They all nodded in agreement, and looked around. They were sitting around at Max's house again. Bridgett kept glancing at the Cortez house, an evil glint in her eyes. "What is it Bridgett?" Max asked, hoping he called her by the right name. "Reeky Rico annoying you lot again?" "Rico! That's it!" Bridgett cried, springing up from her seat on a large rock, and blasting down the street. The four bewildered others rushed after her, and stared as she rang the bell on the Cortez house. Rico answered the door, and rolled his eyes at her. "His name was RICO!" Bridgett sang at the top of her lungs. "He wore a diamond! He was escorted to his chair, he saw Lola dancing there, and when she finished- he called her over! But Rico went a bit too far as Tony sailed across the bar! And then the punches FLEW! And chairs were smashed in TWO! There was blood and a single gunshot, but just who shot whoooo? At the Copa! Cop cabaña!" She hummed a bit more, and danced around the front porch. Rico stood there, looking stunned. "Are you mocking my name?" he asked snootily. "Hm..." Bridgett said, stopping her dance to ponder this. "Yes." "I suggest you cease." He said. "Who's gonna make me?" Bridgett asked, putting her face close to his. "Me." Rico answered, giving her a shove. "You and what army?" Bridgett laughed. She nodded over towards her friends, and Rico backed off. Rico sneered, and went back into his house, slamming the door. Bridgett danced a bit more, and licked her finger. Writing BRIDGETT in the air, she added a check mark by the imaginary word in the air. "Bridgett... one." she said. She licked her finger again, and wrote RICO in invisible letters. "Rico... zilch." Her friends laughed, and bolted off, before Rico came up with a decent revenge... ~*~ "James, why are all the women crabby?" Sirius asked James Potter. They had a house to themselves. They were inside the Potter house, and Meagan had left with the children to go shopping. "Lizzie's not crabby... But Cate, and Meagan... and all the other ones lately." "Well, Cate and Meagan are pregnant. Besides that fact, our daughter is always crabby." James answered. "Maybe it's a woman thing. We really can't blame them though, they have issues." "I suppose..." Sirius shrugged it off. "But why do they seem to be even more nasty than usual to me? I've got a bruise on my arm again from Cate hitting me..." "Did you ask her how she felt again?" James questioned. Sirius nodded slightly sheepishly. "Sirius, what did I tell you about that?" "Not to ask stupid questions?" Sirius suggested. "Exactly." James grinned. "Remember when we first tried to figure out the mystery of women?" "Crystal clearly." Sirius sighed. "Actually, we were all trying to figure out the mystery of different women...." ~*Whee! Marauder Flashback*~ "Are you loony?" Remus Lupin hissed at James and Sirius under the Invisibility cloak. Peter was being careful not to get his feet stepped on. There was no Meagan in sight. "Meagan won't be happy if she discovers we've gone off without her!" "And have taken Sirius with." James pretended to sigh. "We're well aware of the so-called danger. Besides, she doesn't want to talk about guy things with us..." Sirius glared at James. He pulled them sharply to their left. He counted bricks, and tapped them with his wand. A door appeared, and the four boys entered. There was a small cozy little room, equipped with a fireplace, and small window. They tossed off the cloak, and each made a dive for the best chair in the room... "No fair!" Sirius pouted. "James is bigger than I am! He got to sit there last time!" "Sirius, are you three years old?" James laughed. "Oh no." Lupin replied. "He's two and a half." Sirius glared at them all and took a seat in the only open chair, which was a tall rickety one. It was too tall for him, and his feet didn't quite reach the ground. He swung his legs, and stuck his tongue out at them. "I know which girl Sirius has his sights set upon..." James grinned suddenly. Sirius stopped swinging his legs at once, and blushed a shade of light scarlet. Remus and Peter looked at him, attention caught. "Elizabeth Retton..." "I do not like her!" Sirius protested, going even redder. "Oh yes you do." James argued. "You told me. Remember, History of Magic?" "No." Sirius said, this time crossing his arms. "And besides, our boisterous friend here goes silent when she's around. And who is the one girl we haven't gotten with a good prank yet? Lizzie. Because Sirius always has a reason against it..." "James likes Lily." Sirius said. It was the only thing that came to mind at that point. Yet, however stupid it was... it shut James up almost instantly. "I... Do not!" James said. He was redder than Sirius was at the moment, and had stopped all babbling about Sirius liking Lizzie. "Oh yes you do. Who is the OTHER girl we seldom ever prank?" Remus added. Peter nodded stupidly. "Lily Evans." "Oh, so what." James finally said. "Admit it, Sirius, you like Lizzie. Take it like the 13 year old boy you are... or aren't." Sirius glared. "Or we'll set you up with Meagan." Remus said, egging him on even more. Sirius crossed his arms, and looked away. Finally, after much coaxing, teasing, and taunting, Sirius finally gave in. "Okay, okay... shut up already. Yeah, you know already. So James and Lily, Remus and Ophelia... that girl in Ravenclaw. Peter likes Meagan!" All of them grumbled. Sirius found it especially funny that Peter liked Meagan, and Meagan liked him, but he didn't like Meagan. Peter would never live this down. He put up with Meagan jokes every day... Now that Peter admitted to liking her, he would taunt Peter... and throw hints to Meagan. James pulled Remus aside, and left Peter and Sirius stare at them, wondering what they were plotting. A few times, they both snickered. At one point, they heard the comment, "But they'll end up making out in the-" from Remus. Sirius highly suspected this had something to do with him. "Come one James... TELL ME!" Sirius pleaded, once they had all returned to their own chairs. Sirius had beaten James to the good chair this time. "No can do, Sirius... You'll just have to wait and see..." After weeks of planning, and carefully making sure no one knew of their plot, James and Remus finally seemed satisfied. Sirius seemed very disgruntled, and made a point to nag James every hour of the day. For instance, he tried to get James to confess in his sleep. Too bad for him, it didn't work. "I've tried to hypnotize him... beat him up... trick him! No avail..." Sirius sighed. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the common room couch. He immediately felt himself drop. He didn't dare open his eyes, for fear of where he dropped. He never even considered the floor as an option.... Yes, Sirius had fallen of the couch. This whole thing was making him paranoid. "I've got to stop." He muttered. He stood up, and shook his head. He yawned, and decided it was time for him to go to sleep. He took a few steps forward and felt himself fall... But this time Sirius didn't trip. This time he landed someplace in a darkened room. He yelled something rather profane, and then the thought of lighting his wand occurred. He pulled it out, and lit it. He discovered that he as not alone. A very pretty girl with long, smooth, flowing brown hair had her sparkling blue eyes fixed on him. "Um... Hello Lizzie." Sirius said. "Hello Sirius." Lizzie said pleasantly. She looked around the dark little room. "Is there a way out?" "Well, I was going to ask you that. But I can tell you who put us here..." "Who?" Lizzie sighed, though she already had a good guess at who it was. "James, Remus, Peter, more than likely Meagan, probably Lily..." "Predictable." Lizzie sighed. "You think they have a point?" "Oh yes..." Sirius said. "I mean- no. They're just weird." Sirius stared at the floor. Elizabeth looked rather hopefully at him, but his gaze never failed to leave the floor. He noticed that something looked strangely familiar about the floor... too familiar. He leaned against the wall. Nothing was different. "Stand back Lizzie." Sirius said importantly. He stood up a little straighter, trying to make his rather narrow 13-year-old shoulders look broader. Lizzie backed into a corner. She was 12, and rightfully in her second year. "I'm gonna bust us outta this prison." "Um... okay. Sirius, don't hurt yourself..." "What gives you that idea?" Sirius asked, pretending to look shocked. "Oh, nothing. Just the stunt at the Astronomy tower, climbing the Slytherin banner... Jumping off the mantle..." "Okay, okay... Do you wanna get outta here or not?" "I suppose." Lizzie shrugged, looking at Sirius. Sirius was blushing a rather bright pink, and was once again looking away. He then threw himself as hard as he could against the wall... The wall moved, and Sirius fell over. The room had moved- slightly to the left. Lizzie closed her eyes as Sirius stood up again. His next attempt at whatever he was doing proved successful. The whole room toppled over, and Sirius looked up, and saw Lizzie flying towards him. When he toppled the room, which was a solid square, it collided with her, and thus sent her flying. This came to a stop when she landed on top of Sirius. They both turned bright red as they rolled over and looked into the faces of James, Lily, Remus, Peter, Meagan, and other bystanders. "Shut up James." Sirius said. "That.... that... wasn't funny." "Sure it was!" Remus chirped. "We were surprised you figured it out that soon." "I happen to have a brain." Sirius said defensively. "I know what I'm doing." "Oh, he sure does!" Lily giggled, offering a hand to Lizzie. Lizzie took her hand and pulled her to the ground. "Liz, that wasn't fair." "Lucky enough for me..." Lizzie laughed. "Sirius must know the common room floor a bit too well!" "Well, that's what happens when you're constantly tackled by your... superiors." James laughed. "Ha. Ha. Ha." Sirius said hotly. He rolled his eyes. "I think I'll go to sleep now. Night all." Everyone, shaking with silent laughter, waved to Sirius as he headed up the stairs. Lizzie shook her head. "See Liz? I told you he did like you..." Lily smiled. "I suppose." Lizzie sighed. She too smiled. "But I wish he wouldn't be so stubborn." "Come on..." Meagan groaned. "It's Sirius. Let him grow out of this phase." Eventually, Sirius did grow out of the phase... Two years later. But about 6 years later from this incident, Sirius and Elizabeth produced their infamous daughter, Cate. ~*~Yay, back to the present~*~ "Really, you weren't funny." Sirius said. "It didn't work. All we did was look for a way to escape." "I know you better than that." James grinned. "James, I was 13. Do you think I thought... well, I'm still right." Both men rolled their eyes. Sirius secretly snickered at his best friend's graying hair, and James laughed at Sirius's lack of... seriousness. Yet they both were very similar... anyone knew that. "Meagan's home." James said, observing Meagan dragging one of the twins up the driveway. "Well, I'm off." Sirius said. "I seem to irritate pregnant women..." And with that he apparated. ~*~ "Jack, Jack, Jack!" Cate cooed. "What's my precious little baby doing?" "Gaaaaaaaaaaaa." Jack gurgled. He swung his arms, as his mother scooped him up into her arms. His father was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. "Bellum, Jack needs a bath." Cate said. She looked at him again, and plugged her nose. "And a diaper change." Bellum set his newspaper down. He made a face. "You do it. I'm busy... trying to read my paper." "Well..." Cate hissed. "I'm pregnant. You go do it." Bellum grumbled, and set his paper down. He stood up, stretched, and took Jack from Cate. Jack giggled. At this point in his life, he liked his father more than his mother, who was always slightly irritable. But his favorite member of the family was old Padfoot the dog. "Alright Jack-man..." he said to his son. "You need a bath." Jack gurgled, and made other noises as Bellum carried him up the stairs. He couldn't help but smiled... he was so cute. Jack was still a small baby, and he and Cate we going to have another. Poor Jack, he didn't get to babied as long as the rest of his siblings had... Less spoiling for him. "Jacky! How do you feel about another baby?" he asked, knowing, of course, there would be no response. He pulled the little one-piece outfit off Jack, and made a face at the dirty diaper. Going through the necessary before bathing him, didn't please his nose very well. Then he snapped his fingers and a small tub with warm water appeared by his side. He carefully put Jack in, and held him up, talking to him while washing him. "A little sister. How do you like that? I know. You have two sisters already. But your sisters have two brothers already. Well, mommy'll be in a better mood once she's had your sister. She wants to call her Fiona. That's a nice name, don't you suppose? Well, we've got plenty of time to decide on that." Busy talking and washing his son, Bellum had not noticed how wet he was, and how Jack was constantly splashing him. There was also water on the floor, water on the walls, water everywhere. Now it was a matter of who was giving who a bath... "Are you alright up there?" Cate yelled from downstairs. She had been cooking. It wasn't something she did a lot, but she felt special tonight. Special enough to cook.... frozen pizza. "Just fine!" Bellum shouted back. "It's almost time to eat..." Cate said, deciding to appear in the bathroom. She shook her head, and looked at her husband and baby. "Okay... Grown man. Little baby. Which one was getting the bath now?" "Um... Jack." Bellum suggested. "So why is the whole room soaked. Did you turn on a really large shower or something?" "Oh, relax, I'll clean it up. It isn't that hard to wave a wand..." Bellum waved his rather sopping wet wand, and everything dried. Cate smiled with satisfaction, and disappeared to go check if the food hadn't burned. "Can't help but love her." Bellum nodded. Jack giggled, and Bellum picked him up, and raised him in the air. "That's my little boy." ~*~ "Sit down." Cate said to Bellum, who was standing in front of the couch. "Right there." Bellum heeded her, and took a seat. She took a seat a few cushions down on the sofa, and he gave her a funny look. What did he do now? But she quickly put her feet on his lap. "Massage?" she asked. "Sure." he smiled, shaking his head. "Are you already tired? You've got more months to go... You aren't even blimpy yet..." "Blimpy?" Cate said loudly and sternly, sitting up. She glared. "You know what I mean. Just... go to sleep for this or something..." ~*~ "I don't wanna be a chicken I don't wanna be a duck, so I wag my tail QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!" The common room stared as Brynn Black put on a little dancing show, with her own version of the chicken dance song... On the other side, Bryce was doing the YMCA, and Mac and Ethan were leading the Macarena. The Modern day Marauders were joining in. Crystal and Brian were doing the Chicken dance, Fred was doing the YMCA, and George was giving the Macarena a try. Without warning, the portrait swung open, and McGonagall walked in. She took one look at them, and then decided to leave. Everyone shrugged, and Bryce and Ethan left their groups to YMCA and Macarena by themselves... or with Mac. A few minutes later, they returned, with a large case of butterbeer. "Cheers, Gryffindors!" Bryce shouted. As the students few towards the case of Butterbeer, Ethan and Bryce made their escape. Brynn and Mac followed a few minutes later, and met up with them in the halls. "Has Bryce devised a plan?" Brynn asked. "I feel scared." "Ethan helped." Bryce informed them. "Oh, that makes me feel loads better." Brynn rolled her eyes. "Trelawney's been an old coot lately." Ethan said. "Eath, she's ALWAYS an old coot." Mac said. "I mean, she's like... well, looks like she's several centuries old... The wrinkles... the glasses... the clothes! Ugh!" "Well-" Bryce cut him off. "We're going to mess with her crystal ball... and all her other fancy stuff. Tomorrow she'll be seeing-" "You guys..." Brynn cautioned. "Well, what did you do to Snape?" Ethan questioned in defense. "Point taken. Which way?" ~*~ Unusually quiet, Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac sat in Divination class. They waited for Trelawney to take out the Crystal ball, and see what they forced it to read... "Helllooooo my pretties." Trelawney said slowly. She had gotten MUCH creepier over the years. Almost every student hoped she'd die soon. "C'mon you old toothpick. Break out the ball." Bryce muttered. "Something to say Mr. Black?" Trelawney asked. She hadn't heard what he said... only that he had said something. "Nope." Bryce said shortly. All four of them watched closely as she took out the crystal ball. She pretended to do what she did, and gazed into it. This time, something appeared to the whole class in the ball.... A purple dinosaur, cute fluffy kitties, and daisies... eating lollipops. Soon, the lollipops changed into sticks from trees, and they ran towards a castle... Hogwarts. Then it flashed to see Trelawney herself being tied to her desk, and being poked with sticks. There was a big fat sucker in her mouth, and she was wearing clashing punk, orange, red, black, and goo green striped robes, and her hair was dyed magenta. "A reading!" Trelawney cried. This had been one of the few things she did not make up on her own. She was now deathly afraid it would come true. "Excuse me class, and you are dismissed early." Then, the sphere with planets flew up to Trelawney. They all began to orbit her. "Wow, look! It's Uranus!" Ethan cried, and took off for the grounds to enjoy their free period. Later that day, they caught a glimpse of Trelawney spraying the grounds... and plucking all the shriveled daisies she could find. She saw a small pet cat, and bolted to lock herself in her quarters. Funny how you can manipulate the mind... "I think your brother and sister need dental help." George said. "Um... Do you mean mental help?" Brian asked, correcting him. "Yeah. That's what I meant to say- mental." George said. "I got the smarts out of the whole Quints." Fred said. "Unlike my brother here..." "Yeah, he needs dental help." Crystal laughed. George made a face at her. "Lookie- they're dancing again." Brian shook his head. "I really think they aren't related to me." "Nah- you look EXACTLY like Brynn." Fred said. "Um- you mean Bryce, I hope." Brian asked. "Yeah. That's what I meant to say." "There are too many of you anyways. The only one without a 'Br' name is Cate." Crystal sighed. "And we all know who she is. Though I don't really think we're supposed to." "Um... let's get out of ere before we get whatever disease those four scary people have." Brian said, referring to his siblings and friends. "Aye, Aye, captain!" Crystal saluted. ~*~ "Beep! Beep! Beep!" Max made a beeping noise. He had spotted Rico. "Loser alert! Loser alert!" Rico had heard this perfectly well, but chose to ignore it. He looked at Bridgett who was glaring. Paige was standing behind her, and Nita was behind her. Dominic and Max were off to the side. He stuck his nose in the air and said, "Bridgett Black. I have a song for you..." "Oh yeah, Rico? No more Cop cabaña for you then?" Bridgett snorted. "No." he said firmly. He started his song, which was a rap. It was an exceptionally nasty rap at that, and was something that a child his age should certainly not repeat. But the chorus had the phrase, "Bridgett was a dumb ho! Bridgett was a dumb ho!" This really didn't please Bridgett. Ricardo Cortez had spent the past week looking up a song with her name in it just for revenge. She had the temper which most of the girls in the Black family had... Cate was a prime example. Before Paige could hold her back, se threw herself at Rico. She didn't need any help at all from her friends. They watched as Rico took a beating from Bridgett. By the end of the fight, which was marked by Rico going out cold, Rico had two black eyes, and a bump on his head. "Bridgett!" Nita squeaked. "Maybe you shouldn't have done that!" "Ah, it's only Rico. He doesn't seem like the tattletale type. He takes too much pride in himself. He'll never admit to beating beat up by a girl. A girl smaller than he is. He'll just keep away..." "Well, we might as well take advantage of this situation..." Paige grinned, her deep brown eyes flashing. "Let's fix him up..." They fixed him up indeed... UP was right. Tied to the highest branch in a tree, in nothing but a pair of bright pink boxer shorts, Rico woke a few minutes after, shouting at the people below him. "Pleasure fighting with you!" Bridgett called. "Hope to see you HANGING AROUND later!" 


	17. Marauder Memories and Friends Forever

Chapter 17 Marauder Memories and Friends Forever Knock! Knock! "Meagan! Could you get the door?" called Meagan's mother from the living room. "Kay-tay!" Meagan called back. She appeared at the door, fixed her hair, and opened the door. "JAMES!" Meagan shrieked. Her parents rushed to the door to find none other than James Potter standing on their doorstep. "Prongs! You don't just come over uninvited." Meagan said, smacking her forehead. James grinned. "Mum. can he stay, though?" Meagan begged of her parents. They nodded. "Fine." "C'mon, Prongs, to the Marauder-mobile!" Meagan said, pointing. "Where'd you get that from?" he asked. Meagan rolled her eyes. "Batman." She said. "Er. Oh." James said, clearly not understanding. They entered Meagan's room, and James laughed. The walls were painted hot pink. Meagan gave him a soft zap. "Shaddup!" she said. Knock! Knock! Meagan looked up. "Meagan! It's Jenna!" called her father. The door swung open, expelling Jenna and her backpack. "Jenna?" asked James. "Who's Jenna?" Meagan smacked her forehead again, grimacing. "Ooo! Meagan, who is this?" asked Jenna, "Your boyfriend?" Meagan and James looked at each other. "Ewww!" Meagan said, turning away and sticking her tongue out. James looked away too. "Prongs? My boyfriend?" she asked, "No way! That's about as a rarity as you invent a broom that can fly to the moon!" James was looking Meagan up and down. "Me? Blue Eyes and me? Yeeeeew!" "His name is Prongs?" asked Jenna. "No." James said, "I'm James Potter." Meagan nodded. "He's one of the Marauders. You see, at our school, we're the biggest troublemakers around. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Blue Eyes!" she said. She did a little bow. "Who are Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot?" Jenna asked. Knock! Knock! "I think that question's going to be answered." James said. "MEAGAN!" came a yell. "PRONGS!" yelled Meagan, "YOU DON'T CALL A MARAUDER MEETING AT MY HOUSE IF I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT!" James grinned evilly. Meagan's eyes were red with anger. Three boys came into the room. One with long black hair and brown eyes with gold flecks in them, the other short and pudgy and resembled a mouse, and the other with brown eyes and gray eyes that sparkled like the full moon (A/N: HA HA HA ::coughs:: Sorry.). The boy with gray eyes had large bags under his eyes. "Jenna, meet Sirius," Meagan said, pointing at Sirius, "Peter," she pointed at Peter, "and Remus. Other wise known as Padfoot, Wormtail, and Moony." They all nodded in turn of their nicknames. Jenna was looking interestedly at Remus. He looked back and shuddered. "We've come to work on the map," James said. "Know what? Maybe I'll come over your house uninvited. OUT!" Meagan said. "Good bye Prongs! We'll work on the map in SCHOOL! Do you think I memorized all the secret passages? THE ONLY ONE I CAN REMEMBER IS THE ONE UNDER THE WHOMPING WILLOW! I'll see you later Moony! Bon voyage Padfoot!" (-Sirius looked stumped at the words bon voyage and was about to ask when Remus leaned over and said, "It means goodbye in French."-) "Orimvwa Moony!" Meagan yelled, shoving them all out the door. "Wow, you have interesting friends," Jenna said. "And that Moony kid. he was hot." Meagan keeled over laughing. "Jenna's in love with a werewolf!" she choked. "What?" she asked. Meagan laughed harder. "Nothing, nothing." She said. ~*~ "Remember that?" asked Meagan, laughing. "Aye," James said, laughing too. "I'm surprised it wasn't Sirius the Sad she liked." He stated, very amused. "And still doesn't understand a word in French!" Meagan said, "I said Buenos Diaz to him once and Black the Befuddled stood there gaping!" "Remember when." ~*~ "Wormtail likes you!" James said, hopping up and down and laughing like the maniac he was. Meagan spit out her carbonated and artificially flavored water (otherwise known as soda) out. It coincidently got sprayed all over Peter, who licked his lips and said, "Mmm! Coke-a-Cola!" Sirius fell off his seat, laughing hard. Meagan's face turned blue and she tried to breathe. Remus had fallen under the table. Peter had gone bright red. Meagan could almost feel the heat radiating off him. She looked at him and gagged even more. Marykate, over at the Ravenclaw table, was drinking her goblet and trying to hide her smile. She had known about this all along. Meagan was now howling at Peter. "HOW COULD YOU LIKE ME? YOU KNOW I'M NOT AT ALL INTERESTED IN YOU!" she yelled, squashing poor (A/N-Meagan: is he really that poor.?) Peter like a bug. He whimpered, tears forming in his eyes. James, Remus, and Sirius found this all the more funny. Meagan got up, having another one of those teen mood-swings. She was 13 and on a roll. She ran, people laughing. Most boys were hovering around her, since they got wind of the Christmas ball. She ran to the common room and slammed the door. She didn't know why, but she knew Peter was bad. She knew Peter was a betrayer in some way. That was one of the many reasons she never liked him. ~*~ "I remember that loud and clear." Meagan said. "I knew there was something mentally wrong with that kid." James snorted. "Then why did you let us switch Secret-Keepers?" he asked. Meagan looked highly offended. "Well, first of all, you didn't tell me about it," she said, "Second of all, I would have stopped you. You didn't let me." "Yeaaaaah, right." Said James. Meagan rolled her eyes. She suddenly perked up. "I remember walking in on you and Lily kissing," she said. James groaned. "No! Not that story!" ~*~ Meagan was walking aimlessly around the school. Everyone had a boyfriend or girlfriend except her and James. She kicked a frog brain that lay on the ground. She knew she liked him, but she couldn't tell him that. It was one of the places her outgoingness and bravery didn't cover. She heard something. Her ears pricked up and she listened to it intently. It was a suction sound. She transformed with a small "pop" and walked to where the noise was coming from. In the room were two kids, both Gryffindors, one a boy and one a girl. The girl had long, flowing red hair. Her eyes were closed. Meagan couldn't tell who she was, since all she could see of the girl was half her face and her hair. But she did recognize the boy. His haphazard black hair was more messy than usual and his glasses were askew. He was about as tall as he should be for his age. It was the one and only James Potter. "GRAAAAAAAAAACK!" Meagan screamed, transforming back to her regular self. The girl fell out of James's arms as he jumped in shock. She fell to the ground, her hair flying behind her. Her eyes were wide and green. It was Lily Evans. "Lily? Prongs?" Meagan croaked, sounding like a frog. "Blue Eyes!" yelled James, as shocked as she was. "Meagan?" asked Lily. Meagan looked from Lily to James, her eyes wide and yellow. "Good Lord, help us all." She said, and sank to the ground in dead faint. ~*~ Meagan laughed. James groaned. "My first kiss and you came in and ruined it all." James said. Meagan sighed. "Yeah, but that was years and years ago." She said, trying to sound unimpressive. She patted James on the head. "Back then was your glory day. When you didn't have gray hair!" she yelled and laughed triumphantly. "Aaaaaagh. You always find some way to bring my hair into it." He said, pulling at it. Meagan grinned. "Yes, that's it Prongs, make yourself go bald too. That'll do a lot to make us stop making fun of you." She said. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" James said in a long groan. ~*~ "Paige, what's that?" asked Cate, pointing at her daughter's golden necklace. "Nothing," Paige said quickly, shoving the necklace inside her shirt. She said it a little to quickly. Cate snapped her fingers. The necklace came out of Paige's shirt and dragged her relentlessly forward. She tried not to break the delicate golden chain. Cate took the necklace and fingered it. Paige was looking at the ground. She licked her lips. "Who has the other one?" Cate asked sternly. Paige closed her eyes and mumbled something inaudible. "Who has the other one?" Cate asked again, her voice rising. She tugged on the necklace. Paige felt the chain cut into her neck. She stood on tiptoe to keep it from breaking. "Bridgett!" she wailed. "Bridgett? Well, well, I think it would say 'relatives' on it or something if Bridgett gave it to you, wouldn't it?" Cate whispered menacingly. Paige whimpered. She didn't say anything. She knew her mother would find some way to find out Juanita Potter gave it to her. "JUANITA POTTER?" yelled Cate. Paige felt a moment of pain as the chain scratched her neck. There was a tiny tinkling sound and the chain broke. Paige gave a dry sob. The necklace fell to the ground. Paige's eyes swelled with tears. She dropped to her knees, frantically picking up the pieces of chain. Cate stepped lightly on Paige's hand. light enough for it not to hurt. Paige dragged herself to the ground, where her arm lay tense. She gritted her teeth as Cate put more pressure on the hand. "How many time - have I told you - not - to associate - with the Potters." Asked Cate, her voice coming out in gasps. Tears cascaded down Paige's face. It wasn't that her hand hurt, but it was because Nita was her friend and they were best friends. Bridgett and Dominic could never be one of her best friends, because she was related to them both; she could never get a special relationship like that between a friend and a friend. She had just met Max, but Max was a boy and she needed a friend that was girl. She closed her eyes and heard tears drip onto the ground. "A lot." Paige choked. She had her fist closed tightly around the necklace's charm. She brought it up to her face and wiped the tears away, the charm getting in the way. She looked at it through blurry eyes. It seemed to glow. She blinked. It was glowing. Softly, inside her head, she heard Nita's voice saying, "I hope we'll always be friends." She knew the charm was enchanted to say that to her when she was troubled. She gave another racking sob and whispered, "I do too." "Friends Forever?" asked the charm. "Yes," sobbed Paige. She looked at her mother, who was fuming. "Go." Cate said shortly. Paige quickly gathered the remains of the necklace and hurried to her room. She spread it out on the bed and touched it lightly. It started to glow again. She withdrew her hand quickly. The pieces began to shake. They flew together the mended themselves. Paige wiped away her tears and sniffed. "Always prepared, you are, Nita." She said, grinning a little to herself. She put it back on and slipped it down her shirt so it couldn't be seen. She felt the warm metal touch her skin. She grinned. She and Nita would always be friends. ~*~ Crystal ran. Brian ran. Fred and George ran. Crystal looked wildly over her shoulder. "Tell me why we're doing this again." Brian asked, also looking over his shoulder. "Do you want to see Snape looking at McGonagall?" Crystal asked, starting to pant. She gave an exasperated sigh and said, "Oh, that's it!" and took Brian by the shoulders. They disappeared off the spot. Fred and George followed suit. "Well, Snape having a love potion should keep him off our backs for some time," said George, laughing evilly. The others laughed. He was right. the turnout would be interesting.. Chapter 17 Marauder Memories and Friends Forever Knock! Knock! "Meagan! Could you get the door?" called Meagan's mother from the living room. "Kay-tay!" Meagan called back. She appeared at the door, fixed her hair, and opened the door. "JAMES!" Meagan shrieked. Her parents rushed to the door to find none other than James Potter standing on their doorstep. "Prongs! You don't just come over uninvited." Meagan said, smacking her forehead. James grinned. "Mum. can he stay, though?" Meagan begged of her parents. They nodded. "Fine." "C'mon, Prongs, to the Marauder-mobile!" Meagan said, pointing. "Where'd you get that from?" he asked. Meagan rolled her eyes. "Batman." She said. "Er. Oh." James said, clearly not understanding. They entered Meagan's room, and James laughed. The walls were painted hot pink. Meagan gave him a soft zap. "Shaddup!" she said. Knock! Knock! Meagan looked up. "Meagan! It's Jenna!" called her father. The door swung open, expelling Jenna and her backpack. "Jenna?" asked James. "Who's Jenna?" Meagan smacked her forehead again, grimacing. "Ooo! Meagan, who is this?" asked Jenna, "Your boyfriend?" Meagan and James looked at each other. "Ewww!" Meagan said, turning away and sticking her tongue out. James looked away too. "Prongs? My boyfriend?" she asked, "No way! That's about as a rarity as you invent a broom that can fly to the moon!" James was looking Meagan up and down. "Me? Blue Eyes and me? Yeeeeew!" "His name is Prongs?" asked Jenna. "No." James said, "I'm James Potter." Meagan nodded. "He's one of the Marauders. You see, at our school, we're the biggest troublemakers around. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Blue Eyes!" she said. She did a little bow. "Who are Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot?" Jenna asked. Knock! Knock! "I think that question's going to be answered." James said. "MEAGAN!" came a yell. "PRONGS!" yelled Meagan, "YOU DON'T CALL A MARAUDER MEETING AT MY HOUSE IF I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT!" James grinned evilly. Meagan's eyes were red with anger. Three boys came into the room. One with long black hair and brown eyes with gold flecks in them, the other short and pudgy and resembled a mouse, and the other with brown eyes and gray eyes that sparkled like the full moon (A/N: HA HA HA ::coughs:: Sorry.). The boy with gray eyes had large bags under his eyes. "Jenna, meet Sirius," Meagan said, pointing at Sirius, "Peter," she pointed at Peter, "and Remus. Other wise known as Padfoot, Wormtail, and Moony." They all nodded in turn of their nicknames. Jenna was looking interestedly at Remus. He looked back and shuddered. "We've come to work on the map," James said. "Know what? Maybe I'll come over your house uninvited. OUT!" Meagan said. "Good bye Prongs! We'll work on the map in SCHOOL! Do you think I memorized all the secret passages? THE ONLY ONE I CAN REMEMBER IS THE ONE UNDER THE WHOMPING WILLOW! I'll see you later Moony! Bon voyage Padfoot!" (-Sirius looked stumped at the words bon voyage and was about to ask when Remus leaned over and said, "It means goodbye in French."-) "Orimvwa Moony!" Meagan yelled, shoving them all out the door. "Wow, you have interesting friends," Jenna said. "And that Moony kid. he was hot." Meagan keeled over laughing. "Jenna's in love with a werewolf!" she choked. "What?" she asked. Meagan laughed harder. "Nothing, nothing." She said. ~*~ "Remember that?" asked Meagan, laughing. "Aye," James said, laughing too. "I'm surprised it wasn't Sirius the Sad she liked." He stated, very amused. "And still doesn't understand a word in French!" Meagan said, "I said Buenos Diaz to him once and Black the Befuddled stood there gaping!" "Remember when." ~*~ "Wormtail likes you!" James said, hopping up and down and laughing like the maniac he was. Meagan spit out her carbonated and artificially flavored water (otherwise known as soda) out. It coincidently got sprayed all over Peter, who licked his lips and said, "Mmm! Coke-a-Cola!" Sirius fell off his seat, laughing hard. Meagan's face turned blue and she tried to breathe. Remus had fallen under the table. Peter had gone bright red. Meagan could almost feel the heat radiating off him. She looked at him and gagged even more. Marykate, over at the Ravenclaw table, was drinking her goblet and trying to hide her smile. She had known about this all along. Meagan was now howling at Peter. "HOW COULD YOU LIKE ME? YOU KNOW I'M NOT AT ALL INTERESTED IN YOU!" she yelled, squashing poor (A/N-Meagan: is he really that poor.?) Peter like a bug. He whimpered, tears forming in his eyes. James, Remus, and Sirius found this all the more funny. Meagan got up, having another one of those teen mood-swings. She was 13 and on a roll. She ran, people laughing. Most boys were hovering around her, since they got wind of the Christmas ball. She ran to the common room and slammed the door. She didn't know why, but she knew Peter was bad. She knew Peter was a betrayer in some way. That was one of the many reasons she never liked him. ~*~ "I remember that loud and clear." Meagan said. "I knew there was something mentally wrong with that kid." James snorted. "Then why did you let us switch Secret-Keepers?" he asked. Meagan looked highly offended. "Well, first of all, you didn't tell me about it," she said, "Second of all, I would have stopped you. You didn't let me." "Yeaaaaah, right." Said James. Meagan rolled her eyes. She suddenly perked up. "I remember walking in on you and Lily kissing," she said. James groaned. "No! Not that story!" ~*~ Meagan was walking aimlessly around the school. Everyone had a boyfriend or girlfriend except her and James. She kicked a frog brain that lay on the ground. She knew she liked him, but she couldn't tell him that. It was one of the places her outgoingness and bravery didn't cover. She heard something. Her ears pricked up and she listened to it intently. It was a suction sound. She transformed with a small "pop" and walked to where the noise was coming from. In the room were two kids, both Gryffindors, one a boy and one a girl. The girl had long, flowing red hair. Her eyes were closed. Meagan couldn't tell who she was, since all she could see of the girl was half her face and her hair. But she did recognize the boy. His haphazard black hair was more messy than usual and his glasses were askew. He was about as tall as he should be for his age. It was the one and only James Potter. "GRAAAAAAAAAACK!" Meagan screamed, transforming back to her regular self. The girl fell out of James's arms as he jumped in shock. She fell to the ground, her hair flying behind her. Her eyes were wide and green. It was Lily Evans. "Lily? Prongs?" Meagan croaked, sounding like a frog. "Blue Eyes!" yelled James, as shocked as she was. "Meagan?" asked Lily. Meagan looked from Lily to James, her eyes wide and yellow. "Good Lord, help us all." She said, and sank to the ground in dead faint. ~*~ Meagan laughed. James groaned. "My first kiss and you came in and ruined it all." James said. Meagan sighed. "Yeah, but that was years and years ago." She said, trying to sound unimpressive. She patted James on the head. "Back then was your glory day. When you didn't have gray hair!" she yelled and laughed triumphantly. "Aaaaaagh. You always find some way to bring my hair into it." He said, pulling at it. Meagan grinned. "Yes, that's it Prongs, make yourself go bald too. That'll do a lot to make us stop making fun of you." She said. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" James said in a long groan. ~*~ "Paige, what's that?" asked Cate, pointing at her daughter's golden necklace. "Nothing," Paige said quickly, shoving the necklace inside her shirt. She said it a little to quickly. Cate snapped her fingers. The necklace came out of Paige's shirt and dragged her relentlessly forward. She tried not to break the delicate golden chain. Cate took the necklace and fingered it. Paige was looking at the ground. She licked her lips. "Who has the other one?" Cate asked sternly. Paige closed her eyes and mumbled something inaudible. "Who has the other one?" Cate asked again, her voice rising. She tugged on the necklace. Paige felt the chain cut into her neck. She stood on tiptoe to keep it from breaking. "Bridgett!" she wailed. "Bridgett? Well, well, I think it would say 'relatives' on it or something if Bridgett gave it to you, wouldn't it?" Cate whispered menacingly. Paige whimpered. She didn't say anything. She knew her mother would find some way to find out Juanita Potter gave it to her. "JUANITA POTTER?" yelled Cate. Paige felt a moment of pain as the chain scratched her neck. There was a tiny tinkling sound and the chain broke. Paige gave a dry sob. The necklace fell to the ground. Paige's eyes swelled with tears. She dropped to her knees, frantically picking up the pieces of chain. Cate stepped lightly on Paige's hand. light enough for it not to hurt. Paige dragged herself to the ground, where her arm lay tense. She gritted her teeth as Cate put more pressure on the hand. "How many time - have I told you - not - to associate - with the Potters." Asked Cate, her voice coming out in gasps. Tears cascaded down Paige's face. It wasn't that her hand hurt, but it was because Nita was her friend and they were best friends. Bridgett and Dominic could never be one of her best friends, because she was related to them both; she could never get a special relationship like that between a friend and a friend. She had just met Max, but Max was a boy and she needed a friend that was girl. She closed her eyes and heard tears drip onto the ground. "A lot." Paige choked. She had her fist closed tightly around the necklace's charm. She brought it up to her face and wiped the tears away, the charm getting in the way. She looked at it through blurry eyes. It seemed to glow. She blinked. It was glowing. Softly, inside her head, she heard Nita's voice saying, "I hope we'll always be friends." She knew the charm was enchanted to say that to her when she was troubled. She gave another racking sob and whispered, "I do too." "Friends Forever?" asked the charm. "Yes," sobbed Paige. She looked at her mother, who was fuming. "Go." Cate said shortly. Paige quickly gathered the remains of the necklace and hurried to her room. She spread it out on the bed and touched it lightly. It started to glow again. She withdrew her hand quickly. The pieces began to shake. They flew together the mended themselves. Paige wiped away her tears and sniffed. "Always prepared, you are, Nita." She said, grinning a little to herself. She put it back on and slipped it down her shirt so it couldn't be seen. She felt the warm metal touch her skin. She grinned. She and Nita would always be friends. ~*~ Crystal ran. Brian ran. Fred and George ran. Crystal looked wildly over her shoulder. "Tell me why we're doing this again." Brian asked, also looking over his shoulder. "Do you want to see Snape looking at McGonagall?" Crystal asked, starting to pant. She gave an exasperated sigh and said, "Oh, that's it!" and took Brian by the shoulders. They disappeared off the spot. Fred and George followed suit. "Well, Snape having a love potion should keep him off our backs for some time," said George, laughing evilly. The others laughed. He was right. the turnout would be interesting.. 


	18. They fell in Wait a Second! Snape, in l...

Chapter 18 They fell in... Wait a second! Snape, Love? As he sipped at his evening pumpkin juice, he noticed he felt funny. What he had left for a heart was... lighter. He smiled (yes, be afraid. Be very afraid...) and looked to his left. To his left was, none other than... Professor McGonagall... AND Trelawney, both arguing. But really, which one did he see first? He noticed that the bags under McGonagall's eyes weren't as noticeable today. And Trelawney's wrinkles were only minor... In his opinion they were suddenly both beautiful! But which one did he like more? He noticed the Black twins were standing on the Gryffindor table. He didn't even yell at them. He was basking in the glow of McGonagall and Trelawney's supreme beauty (Umm *COUGH*). By this point, Brynn and Bryce had suspected something... "Snape hasn't yelled at us yet..." Brynn said to her twin. "Is he mentally ill?" "Um... Let's just enjoy this while we can-- FOOD FIGHT!" Bryce replied. Bryce grabbed a squishy item of food, and chucked it at the Slytherin table, managing to hit the worst person he could possibly hit, Felicity... She had been hit on the back of the head with a piece of stake sloshed around in potatoes. Bryce's jaw dropped when his 'niece' wheeled around, and chucked a goblet, and with very precise aim, hit him in the head. This knocked him out. But no one seemed to notice. They were all too busy taking part in the now- engaged food fight. It was all too bad for Crystal, Brian, Fred, and George that they had left... By now, even McGonagall had noticed something. Maybe it was the way that Snape was looking at her; an unblinking stare. His black beetle eyes were staring at her, underneath his greasy black hair, which was in his face. Then, to her horror... she believed he winked at her! "Severus, is there something wrong?" she demanded, tapping her foot. She seemed oblivious to the fact that she had been hit with a large slob of what looked like Jell-O... "Not a thing, Minny." Snape said softly. "Your fair face has forever captured my heart." McGonagall nearly passed out. Was she delirious? Or was Snape? But Snape rounded now on Trelawney. "Sybil! A name of beauty! Which fits, for you certainly a beautiful person! Your eyes are deep, like a crystal ball, I can see into your heart, like you see the future." To this, Trelawney was stumped. Nothing in her phony gazing could have prepared her for this. She was paranoid now, but had this gone too far? Had the one supremely crabby teacher, that kept everyone in line, finally lost his... marbles? "Would either of you lovely ladies care for a dance?" he asked. There was no music. Only the sound of students shouting, and the sound of mashing food. What a lovely beat. "Um... No thanks..." Trelawney said, inching as far away as possible from him. McGonagall however, took this opportunity to splash him with water. "SNAP OUT OF IT, SEVERUS!" She shouted, and the Hall stopped for a second to look at her. They realized then that she was not yelling at them, and they went back to their fight... This had no effect on Snape. "The water is clear, like your complexion." he sighed. The he puckered his lips, and said, "Kiss me Minny!" McGonagall could take it no longer, and she left the Great Hall. Professor Trelawney took one look at Snape and used her 'future telling powers' to tell her that she should leave as well... So she gracefully excused herself (by this I mean, broke out in a dead run towards the exit) and left. Was Hell going to freeze over now? Or were the Hufflepuffs just going to win the House Cup? There was no telling, as both were rare events... ~*~ "Children these days!" Cate fumed. Bellum backed up. He had been walking down the hall, when the door blasted off its hinges. It narrowly missed him. "Do you know what your daughter has been up to?" "Um..." Bellum looked around nervously. "Which one?" He wondered what Felicity had done. He really didn't think Paige was the type to do something bad... "Paige!" Cate hissed. "She was chumming around with... that Potter girl! Juanita, or whatever revolting name she has. She had a necklace. Can you believe it, BEST FRIENDS! She knows very well I hate Meagan. She knows that, and still.... ARGH!" Bellum took another step back... Cate was fuming. She was angry. Very angry. "Cate, calm down." he said softly. "Calm down!?" Cate shouted. She threw an electric zap blindly at him, and missed. "My child is friends with the enemy..." Cate clenched her fists. "Cate, you're pregnant and angry. Calm down, sweetie. Breathe... That's it... inhale... exhale..." Bellum said. He felt safe enough now to approach her. Cate had her eyes closed. She was glowing, and her hair was fanning out behind her. Her put his hands on her waist, and felt her relax at once. "I think you need to go to sleep... we'll talk in the morning..." Cate nodded, not opening her eyes. Bellum, looking slightly nervous, led her off to their bedroom... ~*~ "Bridgett..." Paige whispered. She had snuck out of the house. She had to tell Bridgett, who lived across the street, what had happened. A very groggy Bridgett answered the door. It was her bedroom door. "Paige, what?" Bridgett muttered, rubbing her eyes. "Mum's in hysterics. She found out I was friends with Nita!" Paige aid quickly. "And you're still alive? And better yet... you're here?" Bridgett said, waking slightly, and hoping for a story of some sort. "Cate gone mad?" "Well, she doesn't know I'm here now. I'd best get back. Mum doesn't know I can do the appearing trick yet... I'll talk to you some other time, when I have time to explain." Paige looked around, waved to the confused Bridgett, and appeared back in her own room... safe and sound. ~*~ "Cate... stop hitting me." Bellum muttered. Cate seemed to be in a deep sleep, and was being rather violent. He groaned, as he was punched in the nose. He gave his wife a shake, and she sat up, now wide-awake... "Paige! I'm going to---" She muttered, her teeth gritted. But Bellum, who seemed to have been conceiving a plan all night, interrupted her, since he was awake anyways. "Bad dream, Cate?" he asked. A blank look crossed Cate's angry face, and she stopped shaking with anger. "What was it about this time?" Cate paused, taking into consideration that the ordeal with Paige may have very well been a dream. "Um... Paige friends with the little Potter girl..." She shook her head. "Paigie knows better, Cate." Bellum said. He looked around, for no real obvious reason. "Go back to sleep, I'll cook something for breakfast." "MMM-Kay." Cate sighed, stretching. Bellum patted her growing stomach, and kissed her quickly. She smiled, and lay back down to go off to sleep again... Bellum didn't set off for the kitchen, either. He took a left turn three doors down the hall, and opened the door to Paige's room. She was sitting up, holding the necklace Nita gave her. She gasped, when she saw her father, in nothing but boxers, walking around much like a secret agent, keen not to have Cate hear this conversation. "Paige. We need to talk." he said shortly. "'Bout what? You going to give me the lecture too?" Paige rolled her dark brown eyes. "No, I just got you out of a lot of trouble. You see, your rather delirious pregnant mother is now convinced that was a dream. Courtesy of none other than myself. So... I have nothing against you being friends with Nita, just be sure your mother knows nothing of it..." "Oh, daddy!" Paige squealed, as quietly as possible, leaping forth and hugging him. "You're the best!" "Don't mention it. But this means you can't wear that necklace, darling. Keep it in your pocket... and stay in the house a little more. Your mother might be less suspicious of you. Just... act normally. Pretend yesterday never happened." Paige nodded. She put the necklace in her pajama pocket, hoping that her father was telling the truth, and that her mother really did believe it was a dream. Her father smiled, and hurried out, off to make breakfast... quickly. "Even though they may seem insane... you really do have to appreciate fathers every now and then." She said to herself. ~*~ "Pink!" Snape huffed. He had his hands on his hips, and was standing in front of the disarray he called a closet. It was a sea of black robes, all long and flowing. Alas, I lied. They were not all long, black, and flowing. One was dark brown. "Why haven't I got any pink!?" He made a strange noise; much like what a teenage girl makes when she doesn't get her way. He could fix that though... With a wave of his wand, all the robes except the dark brown one turned all pink and frilly. The brown robes turned bright magenta and lacey. "Perfect!" He cried, throwing his arms happily in the air. With a wave of his wand, he was dressed in frilly pink robes, with frills about the collar. He grabbed two bouquets of cheery daisies, and set off to give them to the apples of his eyes... McGonagall and Trelawney. As he emerged into the hallways, the Modern-Day Marauders could not suppress a laugh. It started as a giggle, and turned into raucous laughter after a while. It worked to their advantage that Snape did not care about this. He strutted down the hallway, catching the eyes of many (okay... ALL) of the students' eyes. Felicity herself seemed ashamed that the head of house, who seemed to be living proof that dinosaurs did roam the planet (A/N: Where the Heck did that line come from? I know I've heard it, but WHERE?) (A/N-Meagan-in reply: Me! That's what I say about Mrs. Henry!). But now he was bedecked in pink. Of all colors, PINK! Snape took no notice that Brynn Black felt the liberty of changing the color of his hair to match his hideous robes. "Hm... He looks like a cotton candy monster." She commented, as he walked by. Bryce added to this a fro hairstyle. It was quite hideous, and he truly did look quite a fright by the time he reached Professor McGonagall. He handed her the yellow daisies, and she took off in the other direction as fast as her old lady legs could carry her. "Minny!" He shouted, in despair. "I want a kiss! Please! Grace me with the pleasure of your lips on mine! I love you!" At this point, the students that were snickering at him abandoned the corridor, in fright. He turned in the direction of the Divination room, in search of his other 'love'... Professor Trelawney. Somehow, and in some way, Trelawney had seen this coming, and had locked her door. She claimed to have used her crystal ball, but everyone could tell she could just hear the sound of Snape humming while skipping down the corridor to meet her. "But Sybil! My love!" Snape cried, pounding on the door. "I have brought daisies for you!" Trelawney screamed shrilly, and fainted. Snape took this as a sign that he should leave, and try again another time. He didn't know she didn't like daisies... ~*~ "Ice cream..." Cate muttered. "Must have ice cream." She was alone in the large kitchen, searching desperately about the freezer for ice cream. She had found yogurt, but that was not what she wanted. Yelling in agony because there was no ice cream, this caught the attention of Bellum, who had been peacefully been reading his daily newspaper. He never finished. Ever. "What is it now?" he groaned, looking at her. "Ice cream. Cookie dough." Cate frowned. "Why don't we have any!?" "Because... you ate it all yesterday morning." Bellum replied. "No I didn't. I want my ice cream. You hid it. I know you did." "Cate, I don't want the ice cream! I do not like that ice cream! Even Jack doesn't like it!" "But it's good." "Well, whatever floats your boat." Bellum sighed, shaking his head at her. "I'll get you more if you'd like, though." "I'd like that." She smiled. "Okay... Cookie Dough it is then..." ~*~ "Bridgett... Max... Dominic... Nita." Paige said, rather shyly, which was a change for her. "I can't really be out as much... so my mom isn't suspicious. See, I'm not supposed to be friends with Nita, because our mothers don't like each other too well. Actually, they hate each other. Mum found out I was Nita's friend. Dad fixed it.... I think. And hope. So I have to act a little more normal. He said I have to watch Jack now... He didn't say that at first, and then he changed his mind, because he was crabby later on." Everyone nodded, only understanding half of what she said. But they grasped the important part. Paige went on to explain deeper into the story, managing to make it last a mere... 10 minutes. This was good timing for a 'Paige Story,' as they liked to call it. Paige glanced around the Black house, and turned back to he friends. "I have to watch Jack. My mother has gotten the nerve to go out in public... Bye!" ~*~ "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Screamed a frightened McGonagall, running down the hallway. She paused to catch her breath, and began screaming again. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! He... kissed... ME!" Mac fell out of his chair in the classroom, dragging Brynn with him. Bryce and Ethan laughed until they could no longer breathe when Snape, dressed today in canary yellow, entered the room. "BACK!" McGonagall shouted, pointing her wand at him. "You know I will, Severus. Frankly, I liked the greasy-hair, snobby, waste of space old Snape better!" "But-" "No buts, Professor. Now stop stalking me, and please escort yourself out of my classroom." Not knowing what else to do, Snape backed out of the classroom, McGonagall's wand pointed at him the entire time, in a very threatening manner. Once he was gone, probably off to find Trelawney, McGonagall glared at her class. "Not a word, Mr. Black." she said, noticing Bryce's halfway open mouth. "Not a word. Unless you wish to be severely punished." "Yes, Professor." Bryce muttered, settling deep in his seat. This sure was going to be an interesting class... and for however long Snape was under the Potion... ~*~ "All alone, Cate..." A high male voice hissed. "All alone." Cate found herself locked alone in a white room. There were no windows, or anything in it, with the exception of her in it. Dressed in maternity robes, as usual with pregnant witches, Cate looked around. "What do you want?" She shouted, still cautious of her blank surroundings. This time a female voice replied... "Oh, nothing at all, all seems to be well... Another child coming, I see, Cate?" "Dolere." Cate hissed. "Ah, very good. You can still play the guessing games. Cate, I am impressed." "Still jealous then?" Cate spat out, imagining Dolere to be in front of her. "What do you want of me?" "Why, have you any plans for that child?" Dolere asked, seemingly changing the subject. Cate didn't respond. Instead, she growled very angrily, and looked around the room again. "I should think so..." Dolere said smoothly. "T' would be a horrible ordeal if something happened to mommy... or daddy." A large screen appeared, and Cate wheeled around and faced the screen behind her. She screamed this time, as she watched her husband doing nothing... he was gagged, and out cold on the floor. "Let him go!" She shrieked angrily. "Leave Bellum out of this!" "Ah, now I couldn't do that. That husband of yours was almost responsible for my demise. Lucky for me though I have friends in high places." Another thought crossed Cate's mind. "You still like him. Even though you have Draco Malfoy, you could never have Bellum. All your life... he was never interested." "That comment will cost you, Cate." Dolere's voice hissed. "I should kill him now... No father for this new baby. What were you going to call it? Fiona?" Cate closed her eyes and screamed. She had no power in this place. Dolere could torture her, and whoever else she had captured. But at the moment, Dolere didn't seem to be in the mood. She would rather inflict pain on Cate. Cate suddenly screamed, and clutched at her middle. "Damn it!" She managed to choke. It felt like... labor pains? That was exactly what it felt like... Was she in labor now? What had Dolere done to her? "You stupid whore!" She managed to shout again. She heard laughter, and then she couldn't take it anymore... ~*~ "Cate! Cate! CATE! Wake up!" was heard. Realizing that she was on her living room couch, writhing in pain, Cate looked up, and saw Bellum's face. "Whassamatter!?" "Oh... Bad dream." Cate said, grasping for breath. "I hope at least. Dolere attack. All my fears come true." Bellum really didn't say anything. He knew what she was afraid of. Something happening to him, and the rest of their family. He pulled her close to him, and picked her up. He then sat on the couch, cradling her in his lap. "You're my best friend." Cate said. "The man I love, husband, friend... everything. If I lost you... I don't think I could live. My whole life, you're the only one I truly trust. The one I can talk to. Sure, people think I'm wonderful- until they know me. Quidditch fans. Teenage boys like me... But they don't love me. You're about the only one who accepts me the way I am..." "I can't see why they wouldn't.. But don't think about that, Cate. Nothing's going to happen to me. Nothing's going to happen to you, Ethan, Felicity, Paige, Jack, or even our unborn baby. I won't let anything happen...." Cate nodded, and simply hugged him. "I love you. I love you in every possible way." ~*~ Why was he wearing pink? Why was his hair like... that? What was wrong with him? "Love Potion." Snape muttered after a while. "I wonder which lovely soul decided to rid me of it, by giving me the anecdote." The first thing on his list of things to do was to get back to 'Normal Snape' look. His hair was changed to greasy black, and his hideous pink robes changed to flowing long, boring black. The second thing on his list was to find McGonagall and Trelawney and clear things with them. After a trip down one short corridor, he had handed out 13 detentions to various snickering students, and spotted Trelawney and McGonagall plotting how to get rid of him... He approached the other of them, and spoke. "I would like you both to know that you are ugly old wenches, and I can see why you are each unmarried. For that matter, probably even have never had a boyfriend of any sort. Minerva, I would like you to know that you have wrinkles, and your breath smells strongly of Scotch. Makes one wonder what you do in your spare time. Sybil... Where to start? You're hideous glasses, false seer act. Wrinkles as well, though you have not come nearly as far as Minerva. You have dark circles under your eyes, and look like you have returned from the Forbidden Forest every time I see you." McGonagall and Trelawney stared. "Is that all?" McGonagall asked blankly. "Yes." Snape said, turning to leave. Someone clinging stopped him tightly to his waist... this person was McGonagall. He simply glared at her, and she released him. "Ugly glasses? Wrinkles? Dark circles?" Trelawney was fretting. "Yes." Snape snapped. "And much, MUCH more... Now excuse me, you ugly Professors, while I find the culprits responsible for this nonsense..." He still found it hard to believe that he had 'fallen for' the ugliest and oldest female teachers in the school. The thought of it made him shudder. But he couldn't let that bother him, as he had people to find, and detentions to give.... ~*~ For some reason, Cate felt very good this particular morning. She stretched, yawned, and felt around for a husband to hug. She poked Bellum, and he looked up. Cate screamed, and jumped off the bed... with ease. Bellum screamed as well... for a few very obvious reasons. Number one: Cate was not pregnant. Number two: It was not their bed. It was a small four-poster that they were sandwiched on. Number three: There were other people in the room, on identical beds. Number four: Cate was in her twelve year old body. Number five: Bellum appeared to be about 13 years of age. Cate screamed loudly again, and looked at herself. She was a whole lot shorter, and much, much less round. She was tiny for even twelve. She looked shy, sweet, and innocent, and very pleasant. Bellum looked rather confused. He looked quite befuddled of all this, and sat up in the bed. But Cate's yelling had woke up other people... "Stop screaming, Nita." Muttered a twelve-year-old Meagan. "Go back to sleep." Cate threw the nearest pillow at Meagan's bed. "Do I look like Nita?" She demanded shrilly. Meagan opened her eyes this time, and looked at Cate. "Um... Paige?" She then looked at Bellum. "Ethan?" "Guess again." Cate said through gritted teeth. "Have a look at yourself, why don't you?" Cate pulled a classic 'Cate Move' and placed her hands on her hips, while glaring at Meagan. Meagan looked at herself, and squealed. She rolled off the bed, and made a face. "You aren't Paige." She concluded. "You're Cate... and you must be Bellum." Bellum nodded. Cate made a distinct noise of distaste, and crossed her arms. She moved much easily as a preteen, rather than being pregnant. She was also angry though, that instead of her curves on her regular body, she was a small, undeveloped child. Not that the young Bellum minded a lot though... Not soon after, a few more people appeared... Lizzie and Sirius. Ron and Harry. James and Marykate. Athena and her husband Ryan... Max's parents, Isabella and Thomas McKenzie. They were both blonde, like their children all were. Everyone looked at each other. Then, the door opened, and Crystal walked in. "Um..." she said. "Who are all of you?" No one wanted to explain this one, because they didn't know how... Everyone looked at each other. Cate glared at Meagan, as if blaming her for this nonsense... No one said a word... ~*~ "Er... Maybe we shouldn't have touched that." Max half-laughed. He, Dominic, Nita, Paige, and Bridgett were in the attic of Paige's home... Black Manor. Contrary to popular belief, the Blacks did not live there. Cate did. They were standing in front of a large mirror, which had a few buttons on it. In the mirror they could see their parents, all young. "Paige... what happened?" Dominic asked. Paige leaned forward to examine the mirror. "It seems as if all our parents have been taken to Hogwarts. They also seem to be... little." "So basically we've put our parents in Hogwarts?" Bridgett asked. "Yup." Paige nodded, with a grin on her face. "That's my sister... she looks like... my mom!" Nita observed. "Ha!" "Paige looks like about like 5 people there." Max laughed. "She's related to half the world, I swear..." "Shall we leave them like this for a bit?" Paige grinned again. The laughs from her friends answered that question... 


	19. HOLY MONKEYS!

Chapter 19 HOLY MONKEYS! Meagan looked at her daughter, her mouth agape. Crystal stared back. They both had identical looks on their faces. It seemed like a reflection. "AAAAAH!" Crystal screamed. She threw a pillow at Meagan. Meagan reflected it easily with a shield spell. "HOLY MONKEYS!" Meagan screamed. "WHAT FOR THE LOVE OF QUIDDITCH IS GOING ON HERE?" Harry asked, ducking a pillow with his natural Seeker talents. Brian, Fred, and George ran up to see what was the matter. They froze in the doorway. "Oh. my Lord." Marykate breathed. "I'm. 12!" Sirius yelled, pinching himself to make sure it wasn't a dream. Meagan watched Ron flop to the floor in dead faint. He opened his eyes and said, "I think someone pressed another button." Immediately all eyes turned to Sirius. He backed away, holding up his hands. "Don't look at me! I was tending to my spider! You know, the flesh eating one." He said. "Padfoot." Meagan said. Brian fainted. Professor McGonagall came running. She stopped dead in the doorway and hung there, her mouth open. "Hello Professor," Meagan said, "Er. We're back?" she tried. She fainted and fell down the stairs. "Hooooly monkeys." Meagan said in a singsong voice. She watched McGonagall flop lifelessly down the stairs. She made a face. Meagan sat on the railing and slid down it. She jumped off at the end and looked up to astonished faces. She stopped Brynn and the others off in the crowd somewhere. "Crystal, what did you DO?" Brynn asked in awe. Meagan shook her head. "Sorry, but I'm not Crystal. We have really got to get Dumbledore!" she said. "You're telling me!" said Marykate, who was already heading towards the portrait hole. "And this isn't my proper place! I'm a Ravenclaw!" she added, running out. Lizzie and Sirius followed her. James ran after Sirius. Harry placed a hand on Meagan's shoulder. "C'mon," he said, jerking his head to the portrait hole, where Isabella and Thomas were leaving. They left and noticed someone following them. Meagan whirled around. None other than Snape himself was walking down the corridor. with gray hair. Meagan, who probably wouldn't have been able to hold it for the shortest second anyway, burst into fits of hysterical laughter. Snape stopped and looked at her. "Five points from Gryffindor, Ms. Potter." He said. Meagan, trying to breathe, gasped, "That's Mrs. Potter to you." Snape stopped in shock. "C'mon Meagan," Harry said, dragging Meagan down the corridor. "'Later, Severus!" she called, allowing herself to be dragged. Snape stood there, his mouth open. When they reached the gargoyle, it was already starting to hop back in place. Harry dived and got in just in time, dragging the still laughing Meagan with him. They ran up the moving steps together. At the top of the stairs, they met Sirius, Lizzie, James, and company. They were going too fast to stop. "AAAARGH!" came nine yells. The door burst open and all nine ki-er-adults toppled into the room. Professors Dumbledore and Trelawney were there. Trelawney gasped. "I-I foresaw this!" she gasped before she faint. "Most unlikely," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "Professor!" Meagan gasped, and they all launched into explanation at the same time. Dumbledore smiled. "If you could calm down and slowly tell us what happened, maybe I could understand." He said, his mustache twitching. Everyone stopped talking. Meagan took a deep breath. "Okay, Harry and I were sleeping at home when I heard a scream. I thought it was Nita screaming from a nightmare. or the twins. Either one, take your pick. Anyway, I found out that it was Cate." She stopped here to jab her finger over her shoulder at Cate, "And I thought she was Paige. She told me, I ran to a mirror, and saw I was a 12- year-old!" Meagan finished, the others nodding. "How do I know you aren't Crystal?" Dumbledore asked. Meagan held out her hand to show her wedding ring. "My wedding ring. The one Harry gave me on our wedding day. The exact one." She said. She closed her eyes as she felt as if she were being x-rayed by Dumbledore's vision. "I believe you." He said, sitting behind his desk. Meagan heaved a sigh of relief and threw herself into the nearest chair. "You will have to stay here until we find out how to reverse the enchantment that has been here, however," Dumbledore said. He was followed by an angry uproar. "I have classes to teach and Quidditch to play!" "The twins will find my wand and destroy the house!" "Paige can't be left to herself!" "I need to go to work!" "Maxwell will be left alone!" "I don't have gray hair anymore!" James yelled. The angry yells stopped and everyone turned to stare. He turned beet red. "What? Can't someone be happy?" he asked. Meagan sighed. "Okay, Professor Dumbledore, sir!" she said, saluting her former headmaster. "Sir, yes, sir!" Sirius said, following suit. "Going sir!" James finished. Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Who will take over my classes?" he asked. "Oh, I think someone will be just eager to do it." Dumbledore said. "Who?" Harry asked, as impatient as a 12-year-old. "Someone named Severus Snape." ~*~ "That's why we're here," Meagan explained to Crystal for the hundredth time. She was still truly shocked, as were the rest of her friends, that her parents were her age and were staying at Hogwarts. "Just. don't let me catch you kissing Dad," she said weakly. Meagan and the other Marauders ran off. "Aren't we going.?" he asked James. James was looking daggers at him for bringing it up in front of Meagan. "Do you honestly think I didn't know that you went off to have boy meetings?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. Sirius and James stopped in shock. "How-how do you know?" sputtered Sirius. "I caught on after a while, Padfoot the Pathetic." She replied, laughing, "It was quite fun hearing you talk about guy stuff." This made Sirius wobble. "You. you heard our little conversations?" he asked. Meagan laughed harder. "It appears so, doesn't it?" she asked. He nodded. They came to the room where Sirius, James, and the other used to have "boy meetings" as they called them. Sirius and James raced for the biggest, comfiest chair. In a split second, Meagan was sitting there and smirking. Sirius and James came to a complete stop so as to not run into Meagan. For the first time in his life, James did not get the big comfy chair. Sirius raced for the only other chair and got their first. James plunked down onto the floor, his lower lip sticking out. "Don't worry, Prongs, old pal, it had to happen sometime!" Sirius said. "I'd shut up if I were you, Padfoot the Persnickety." Meagan said. "Ooooh." Sirius said, his eyes widening, "I forgot. you have to stick up for him. after all. he's your FATHER-IN-LAW!" Sirius said, cracking up and laughing. Meagan threw a pillow at him. hard. Sirius and the chair flopped over backwards. It was Meagan's turn to laugh. "Ha, ha, ha! Sirius the SQUISHED!" she said, pointing and laughing. Sirius picked up the pillow. "Prepare for the worst beating in your life." He said, his skinny 12-year-old arms tensed. "Your on!" Meagan said, picking up her own pillow. "Whadda 'bout me?" asked James. Meagan hit James in the side of the head with her pillow. James scrambled away and picked another pillow. "Bring it on!" he said. He learned something new that day: be careful what you say. He got a face full of pillow from Sirius. Meagan fwapped Sirius and side. He gave a yell of surprise and hit her over the head. "YAAAAHG!" Meagan said, now hitting Sirius in the leg. Sirius fell over sideways and Meagan started to beat him with her pillow. James came up behind Meagan slowly and hit her upside the head. "What the-!?" came a yell. Meagan looked up and saw Harry. or at least that's who she thought he was. "Grab a pillow!" she said and threw him a pillow. He shrugged. "'Kay, Crys." He said. Neil launched himself into the battle. He thought Meagan was Crystal, just as Meagan had confused him with Harry. Meagan jumped on James's back and rode him like a horse. "Ride on, Silver!" she yelled, holding the collar of his shirt tightly. He was trying to throw her off, but was failing miserably. Neil was hitting Sirius over and over with his pillow. Sirius, meanwhile, was curling himself up into a ball and shielding his face. He finally got up his courage and punched Neil's toe. "YAH-HA!" Neil howled, hopping up and down and holding his toe. "This means war!" he said, stomping on Sirius's hand. Sirius squealed like a pig. "I give up!" Sirius said. "Me too!" said James breathlessly. Meagan and Neil exchanged a high five. "Boo yeah! As I have said for year after year, girls rule and boys eat my dust." She said, doing a victory dance. "G'job Harry!" she said. Neil stopped and stared. "Crystal?" he asked. Sirius and James burst out into fits of hysterical laughter. "You confused your son with your husband!" James said, laughing hysterically. "Did somebody call?" asked a voice. Harry came into view. He came up face to face with Neil. Neil screamed. "Have I flown back in time?" he yowled. "No! Neil? Harry? Holy monkeys!" Meagan said. "Well. wanna explain again?" asked James, flopping down into the biggest, comfiest chair. "I'd better," Meagan said. Sighing, she began to explain again. ~*~ "Up! Right! Down! Right again!" Meagan hollered, leaning out of the Gryffindor stands. It was Quidditch practice. She was being a little overexcited. Did I just type a little overexcited? Let me type that again. She was being way too overexcited. "Meagan, if you're so anxious to fly, why don't you?" Harry groaned, keeping her from falling by holding the collar of her shirt. "Good idea!" Meagan said brightly. She clicked her fingers and her Lightning appeared. "YAH-HA-HA!" she screamed, jumping out of the stand and diving. "That's my wife!" Harry said proudly, following her. Meagan pulled up inches above the ground. "WHOA! That girl can fly!" Mac said as Meagan zoomed past. "Way-to-go, Mum!" Neil said, practically laughing as Mac and Ethan practically fell off their brooms because of Harry. Nothing could stop them. Meagan and Harry exchanged a high-five. Even though they were stuck, they were going to have some fun. 


	20. Blood and Tears

Chapter 20 Blood and Tears "Really, someone hates us." Cate said to Bellum, who was sitting opposite her on the couch in the common room. There were giggling girls, and staring boys watching the pair closely; it was beginning to annoy Cate. "Gee, you think so, Cate?" Bellum replied, with sarcasm, shuffling a deck of cards that had been lying about on the table. Cate glared at him, giving her more the appearance of Felicity than Paige. "Exploding Snap?" "Sorry, I don't want to be burnt to a crisp." Cate retorted. "I'd put those down if I were you." Bellum shrugged. He had taken the attitude of his thirteen-year old self on, and Cate discovered that he was acting much like Sirius did, except that he was calmer, and not as reckless. He looked at her, and tossed her a piece of gum. Cate stared at it for a bit, then popped it in her mouth. "Wizard Chess then?" He asked her, still shuffling the deck of cards. "I hate that game." Cate said, sticking her nose in the air. "Just because you always.... LOOOOOOOOSE!" Bellum grinned, in a singsong voice. "No." Cate huffed. "Because... it's boring." She glared at Bellum, and the cards in his hands exploded, singing most of his front side... Cate snorted at this, and shook her head. "Well that's real attractive..." "Sure is!" Bellum grinned. He scooted over towards her, and then wiped his dirty face on her sleeve. On the fiery red of Cate's sleeve, there was now a black streak from the ashes. Cate punched him on the arm. He flinched, and pushed her off the couch and onto the floor. "Hey now..." Cate smiled. "Remember, our bodies are 12 and 13..." "Oh, I know." He said innocently. "But we're allowed to flirt like this, aren't we?" "Well, we are married... But lines have to be drawn..." Cate smirked, fiddling with her wedding ring. "Okay, now get off me." Bellum rolled his eyes, and rolled over. Cate sat up from her spot on the floor, and was immediately knocked back over, being kissed by her 13-year-old husband. "That was interesting." She said, raising her eyebrows. "Doesn't have quite the effect it usually does. You'll have to brush up on those teenage kissing skills of yours..." "Oh shut up..." Bellum started, but trailed off, realizing that all that were left in the common room were watching them. "Ah, I think it's time to go now...." "Yeah. I hear the Great Hall calling my name..." "That's funny... I hear the Quidditch field calling it." Bellum groaned, as Cate grabbed his arm, and dragged him with her to the Quidditch field to watch the practice... ~*~ "It's your best friend in the world..." Bellum smirked. "Meagan Potter." Cate scowled, and looked at the rather shameful display of flying Meagan had going. She didn't like Meagan's style of flying the slightest bit. It was sloppy, and completely random. She went where she pleased, zooming all over the field, and going much too fast than mandatory. High speeds caused her to often miss the Quaffle, but Cate was no Chaser... she avoided all areas of the game that were not Seeker, for she hated to lose... "I think I'll show them how to fly..." Cate grinned, rubbing her hands together. "Go sit by Potter and make him look even worse than usual, by comparing him to you." Bellum looked at himself, and snapped his fingers. He was instantly clean, with new robes, looking much nicer. The team in the air stopped to point at Cate. "She's a Slytherin! She can't be here for our practice!" Mac shouted from above. "ETHAN! Tell your sister to leave..." But as Cate drew nearer to him, with the aid of a broomstick, his jaw dropped. "Oh. You aren't Felicity." He said stupidly. "Cate..." Brynn said, pausing to pelt a Bludger in the opposite direction. "Don't hurt him." "Why would I do a thing like that?" Cate sneered. "Your parents are here too, Mac." She then turned to Brynn and added, "So are mum and dad. In case you hadn't noticed." "Uh... I was there." Brynn rolled her eyes. "And I believe this makes you... my LITTLE sister." "Don't push it." Cate said shortly, while Meagan fought a laugh in the background. "It doesn't mean I can't hurt you." Then she wheeled around on her broom to face Meagan, who was flying now in loop-de-loops. "You either." This started an argument, which involved Cate and Meagan arguing while Harry and Bellum shook their heads in the stands at them. Unlike Cate and Meagan, they were on relatively good terms with each other. "So why aren't you out there playing?" Bellum asked Harry as a starter of conversation. "Oh, I don't know." Harry shrugged. "Partially because Cate is out there now. I hate getting in her way. But in another light... she's even smaller..." "I see. She can be that way at times." "So why aren't you out there?" Harry asked Bellum. Bellum chuckled at this. "Oh, me? Play Quidditch? That'll be the day..." He laughed. "I have no talent for the game." "So your son gets all he talent from your wife?" "I suppose..." Bellum shrugged. "Cate isn't a Chaser... but her mother is- er- was anyway." Both men sighed, and carried on with their conversation ("So when is your baby due?") while the fight in the air heated up... "I am NOT sloppy!" Meagan shouted at Cate. "You are too!" Cate hissed. "This way... That way... There goes the Quaffle, oh, OOPS, I'm having such a good time I forgot what to do!" "You arrogant little-" Meagan didn't feel the need to finish her sentence, but she jetted forward towards Cate, who dodged er easily. "Oh, someone's trying to fly like a Seeker now!" Cate said delightfully. "Isn't that too bad that she's no good at it." Cate sighed, and stood on her broom. She flew in a few circles, and then dropped back down to the usual sitting position. Her movement in the air was quick, light, and graceful. This was the only thing she missed about being twelve; she was much more flexible, and lighter than she was normally. "Well, that was almost impressive." Meagan sneered. "Did I say it was?" Cate asked. "Because it certainly is not." "Come on... we'll settle this on the GROUND!" Meagan shouted. "Oh, I think not." Cate sighed. She really didn't feel like getting punched at the moment. "I think a Quidditch match of the sort will handle this." "But you're a Seeker. I'm a Chaser." Meagan said, making an annoyed face. "How are we going to compare?" "So then you'd rather have a show of skills match?" Meagan glared. She didn't want that... Cate knew many tricks, as she had been flying much longer than she had. Not only that, but she had been Professional for eons longer, and had smoothed out all the bumps, and didn't turn as sharp, but made everything look as if she had it planned. "I take that as a no." Cate grinned. "You've got a husband who's a Seeker." "This is between me and you." Meagan retorted. "You'll try and kill him again." "Oh, I don't try to kill people in Quidditch. I only try to remove them from the air in the most violent way possible... Besides, these kids can't run my plays. I have no Beaters that can run my trademark Feints... Hell with this, it doesn't even have to involve anyone." There was a pause, and Meagan looked around. Little Cate was enjoying this. Meagan's large ego (A/N-Meagan: AHEM! The character Meagan is supposed to be my replica! HMPH!) was taking a beating. "Fine. But it still isn't fair. This is between me and you." "Okay, okay..." Cate rolled her eyes. "Since you have that little faith in your husband... We'll let the Snitch loose. You can be on Harry's team, and whoever catches the Snitch first wins." Meagan wrinkled her nose, and beckoned Harry over to discuss things with him. Cate watched much shaking of Harry's head, suggesting numerous objections, and angry gestures from Meagan, and finally a sigh, and Meagan returned, Harry following. "You're on." "What are we wagering again?" Harry whispered to Meagan. "Nothing. Just reputations..." Cate ran her fingers through her shoulder length hair, as the Gryffindor Quidditch team observed. "Your broom." Meagan said, tossing Cate an inferior broom. "You can cope with it, if you're so good then..." "Would you like me to glue my hands to my waist and blindfold myself too while you're handing out handicaps for yourselves?" "I wouldn't care." Cate shook her head, and looked at her rather old broom, the original Firebolt. Not that she minded at all, she knew she was still going to win. The she grinned, and said, "No fouls." "N-No fouls?" Harry asked nervously. "You heard me, Potter. No fouls." She grinned. "There are too fouls." Meagan hissed. "Brynn, let the Snitch loose." Cate rolled her eyes. She didn't foul anyways. In fact, she rarely made contact with anyone at all, except after the game, when small fights often broke out among the teams. She had a game tactic, which Meagan didn't seem to have at all. It was two against one, but the odds were still with her... Keeping her own distance, Brynn shuffled out and let the Snitch loose, and dived out of the way as three brooms whizzed past her head. She went to the stands, where everyone else now was, and took a seat between Bellum and Mac. "It seems pretty empty without all the other balls and players up there..." She observed. "Of course." Ethan shrugged, from his few seats down. "Oh, she lost them both there..." He was referring to the play Cate had pulled, nearly causing Harry and Meagan to crash into each other. From her spot above them, she smiled sweetly and waved. Meagan whispered something to Harry, who nodded. "Well that was dumb." Bryce practically shouted. "Cate's figured that out already! They're going to sandwich her between them!" "Crisscross, Applesauce..." Mac sighed. "They'll end up nearly colliding with her." Up in the air, conversation was sparse, due to the fact that Cate was clicking her tongue, and Harry was trying to shout commands at his non- Seeker wife. "NO FOULS!" Meagan shouted finally, and Cate dropped down about a yard in the air, as the two Potters tried to squash her in the middle. "She knows what we do." Meagan whispered to Harry, pulling close beside him. "She's been a Seeker so many years, she has everything mapped out. "Chasing is so much easier..." They whispered something to each other, ignoring the groans from the small crowd. Meagan noticed that a few were jumping up and down, pointing at Cate. But when she looked, Cate was doing nothing but grinning, fiddling with her pocket. "You go left, I'll take the right side. Just don't let her get by. We can keep her blocked." Harry said finally. "Pathetic..." Cate said, as they flew beside her. "Not as bad as you are! Sad excuse for a human being..." Meagan muttered. The fighting in the air went on for a little bit, but there was still no sign of the Snitch. All that was left of the small crowd was Bellum now, who had his feet propped up on the chair in front of him, dozing off peacefully. "Where is the Snitch?" Meagan finally sighed, in an exasperated tone of voice. "Oh... the Snitch?" Cate said slyly. She put her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a gold ball. She flashed it in front of Harry and Meagan's faces. Their jaws both dropped. "You mean this? I caught it while you were chatting. Really, pay attention." Meagan made a face, as Cate flew downward and hopped off her broom. She thought it was fun to play with them like that... Well now it was her turn... She quickly followed this action, but threw herself at Cate, tackling her. Cate gave a muffled scream, as she was hit in the face. "Dammit! Sore loser!" Cate shouted. "Arrogant show-off!" This fight was won by Meagan. Cate had a black eye, and several bruises, a cut up her arm, and was limping. Her size had worked against her in this situation. Harry pulled Meagan out of the fight, with nothing but a bruise on her arm. There wasn't a lot Cate could do without her powers, which had come when she was 17. The atmosphere was very unpleasant in the common room, which was needless to have even been said... ~*~ Back in the attic, the young troublemakers were having the time of their lives. Sitting in front of the mirror and watching it as if it were a TV, Paige, Nita, Bridgett, Dominic, and Max had not a care in the world... Well that was what they thought at first. "Brooke's all by herself!" Bridgett gasped, flipping over backwards in her chair. "She's not even two yet!" "Oh God... So is Ryan!" Max said. "If something happens to him... then I'm dead! My life will be like Lynnsey's! That means I'll never have one!" Jack's downstairs..." Paige said. "I think." "Jo and Jess won't miss me." Nita said, hoping this was true. "Marie can handle herself." Dominic sighed. "And if not- who cares?" "Sibling round up!" Bridgett shouted. "Except for Jo, Jess, and Nita.... don't find them." About half an hour later, after Floo Powder, frantic children, and crying babies and the dog... everyone was reunited. Ryan was Max's little brother, only a baby about the same age as Jack and Brooke. He found delight in the dog's tail, and old Padfoot the canine begrudgingly let the babies play with him... he was more than used to it. "Change the smelly diaper!" Nita squealed suddenly, putting Jack down. "He's so cute! But he's so smelly!" "I can't change a diaper!" Dominic said, backing away. All five looked at each other, and laughed nervously. None of them actually knew how to... Nor did they know much about caring for babies, especially Nita and Dominic, who were the youngest... so far. "I think we should bring our parents back..." Max suggested. "I hate to say this... but I miss mom and dad. Mac and Cheese just doesn't cut it for dinner today... Sorry to insult your cooking, Paige." "See if I ever make your dinner again, Max McKenzie..." Paige said, sticking her nose in the air. "But I agree. We need our parents." "To the attic!" Dominic said like an army commander would, heading for the stairs and tripping on his first step. The babies giggled, and everyone else laughed. They all made it to the attic alive, looking into the mirror. There the mirror stood, the people it was reflecting were the same as they had been before... It showed a small scene in the Gryffindor common room which included Bellum, Cate, and Ethan... "Okay... Is anyone else's curiosity getting the better of them?" Paige asked quickly, taking a chair in front of the mirror. "Yeah." The other four responded, also taking a chair. "Then let the show begin..." Paige grinned, her eyes lighting up gold like her mother's... ~*~ "Ethan!" Cate hissed. "Would you like to explain to your father why I have brought you here to talk to him?" "No." Replied the red-faced Ethan. He was fidgeting madly, and Cate hit him hard on the arm. Bellum didn't seem to care too much about whatever was happening; he was flopped over on the couch, reading a book of some sort. "Yes you do." Cate said, turning her angry gaze into a hard glare. Ethan jumped, for her knew that look from bothering Felicity... it meant something bad would happen if he didn't obey his very small mother... "Okay..." He said, looking down, taking a deep breath. "I was inthebushes... with aRavenclaw6thyear... makingoutandthenmomcame and..." Bellum cocked an eyebrow, only able to catch a few words out of the sentence. He bit his, lip and looked at Cate. He thought this was rather funny, and grinned. "I'll handle this, Cate." He said. Behind Cate, Ethan let a silent sigh of relief and mouthed 'Thank you!!' to his father. "Okay..." Cate rolled her eyes, heading off to wherever she felt like going without getting lost. "Er... Have a seat, and talk slowly." Bellum said, sitting up, and patting the couch. "Awkward situation?" "Well... yeah." Ethan said slowly. "It's not my fault I can't decide which girl I like! I swear, I've got a new girlfriend every week... See, mom's already let the making out with Jocelyn in the Quidditch stands slide... but Jocelyn really isn't my girlfriend at the moment... It's just one of those things... but the Ravenclaw is Jillian Irwind, and well... I just can't decide who I like better... so I talk to one of them, and it leads to something... then I talk to the other, and it leads to something..." Bellum nodded. "Mm hmm." he said on the occasion to sound highly educated on the subject of "Not exactly dating so-and-so and not exactly dating so- and-so... and thinking about so-and-so more than usual." "Hello!" Came a cheerful voice, and Sirius clapped his grandson sharply on the back, and Ethan jumped about a foot in the air frightfully. "What's conversation about here now?" "Girls." Bellum said. "At least I think it is..." "Yes." Ethan answered. "I don't know which girl I like the best." "Hm..." Sirius said, taking a seat on the couch as well. "Which one can you talk to?" "Uh... That'd have to be Jocelyn. We've known each other the longest..." "Which one to you think about the most?" "All of them?" Ethan said. "No wait... Jocelyn again." "Well, it seems like you like her the most, then." Sirius said, thinking quite highly of himself, as he had seemed to solve the problem. "But we've tried dating each other... it doesn't work out." "Then make it work." Sirius commanded. "And the other girls? Pretend they're UGLY... when you see them, imagine they're the ugliest most ANNOYING person on the planet... then you won't like them anymore..." Ethan sighed. "This isn't going to work!" "Sure it is!" Sirius objected, Bellum sat silently, nodding along. " Who's the one with the girls chasing him? Is it you?" He narrowed his eyebrows at Sirius. "That's what I thought... Let me check over here... nope, isn't you either dad!" "Well, those 4th year girls do seem to think-" Bellum grinned to himself.   
  
"Shut up!" Ethan practically shouted, storming off to go and think this all over for himself... ~*~ Back in front of the mirror, the little girls and boys were all giggling. "I can't decide who I like!" Paige said, mocking Ethan, and pretending to faint dramatically. "Cry me a river..." "Teenagers are weird..." Nita said, wrinkling her nose. "You got that right!" Bridgett replied, being grammatically incorrect as usual. If only Marie had been around to correct her incorrect use of the word got... "Okay..." Paige said, after they had overcome another fit of the giggles. "Nita, I think you'd better go home, because if my mom sees you here, we're all dead. Nita waved, and disappeared. "Maybe the rest of you should leave too... you know where the fireplace is..." Paige added. "Or else she'll get suspicious on how all of this happened." "Um... goodbye!" They called, Bridgett leading the way out of the attic. Paige grinned, and rubbed her hands together. "Okay Paigie... you can do this... Find the right button... it isn't the red one. I already pressed that one; it turned them into kids... Perhaps this here green one!" She closed her eyes, and pressed the green button. To make a long story short: it was the wrong button. She looked at herself and gasped. She was an adult, and she had a wedding ring on her left hand. A few seconds later, who she presumed, was Nita appeared at her side... "Paige, what did you do now!?" She asked. Paige noticed she had an engagement ring. She didn't want to even think about who she was engaged to, or even yet who she herself married! "Pressed the wrong button..." She said, pressing it again. She changed back to her usual child self, and Nita sighed with relief, and bid her farewell again. Now only one button remained, a bright orange one. She pressed it eagerly, wondering what was going to happen. She secretly hoped that it would do something interesting, like turn her father's hair pink, or something like that... But it happened to be the right button, and everyone that had been turned into an 11, 12, or 13 year old was back to normal... They all appeared in the common room, and a swirling mist engulfed them all. Then there was a flash, and they disappeared. Paige rushed out oft he attic to she what had become of her parents, and if they were in the house. Foul words, and shouting immediately answered that question... "Where were you guys?" She asked, opening her parent's bedroom door. Her mother was as pregnant as she had been before, and her father was just as flustered as he usually was when Cate was in an angry rage. "Dammit! She cursed me!" Cate muttered. "Um..." Paige said, keeping up the confused and innocent act. "Long story Paige." Bellum replied. "We were at Hogwarts..." "Okay." She said. "Can I go to Bridgett's?" "Sure." "Thanks dad!" "Welcome..." ~*~ Things had simmered down since the departure of the adults at Hogwarts. Brynn and Mac hadn't exactly cared about the arrival of their parents. They were paying more attention to each other. Night had fallen, and the pair was on the Astronomy tower, looking at the stars together. "If I could think of something romantic to say, this would be the moment I'd say it." Mac sighed. "But I can't..." So to make up for lack of romantic words, he kissed Brynn suddenly, and shrugged. "Well that made up for it." Brynn smiled, kissing him back softly. They both grinned, and leaned in on the balcony. "Did you ever really think about what a dangerous place this is?" Mac asked. "Yeah, sure... With Voldemort and all of his Death Eaters running about, it is dangerous... but not half as dangerous when we were born, with Cate and all..." "But they haven't given up... the next time they strike, it'll be hard... and you, well, you aren't exactly safe... you're a Black. What if they get the idea that you'll be as powerfully evil as your sister... what if-" "Hush, Mac." Brynn said, putting a finger to his lip. "Don't think about that. We're 16, and we still have lives to live... and have children of our own. This isn't the time to be thinking about dying." "But this very well could be our last tonight together..." "Then we can treat it like that. It's like that every day... For some, this is their last night. Last night alive, or last night together. Someone's last hour... someone's last second. No one lives forever, but we have to make the most of this all... before times turn hard again..." "That's what I was trying to say... Brynn, you're better at expressing things than I am." Mac sighed, putting his arm around her. "And that is because I know what you mean... I can tell what you're thinking... it's a family thing." "Well, I'll just thank your ancestors for the way you are then... because you're perfect..." ~*~ "Snape can smell fear." Brynn warned Brian before he headed off with Crystal, Fred, and George for a detention with Snape. They had been caught throwing things in the Slytherins' potions to make them explode. Ariana Malfoy had gotten her hair turned rainbow colors... "With a nose that size, I'd be surprised if he couldn't!" Bryce added. "I'll keep that in mind..." Brian said. None of the four second years wanted to scour something off Snape's floor... ~*~ Cate yawned, and stretched her arms, typical of her morning wake up. Then she sat up (not easily, at that) and looked around. The spot next to her was empty, and she sighed. There was no smell of breakfast in the air, and all was silent. "Where could that man be?" She asked herself silently, rolling off the bed. "He's never awake..." She felt something strange about, and her first instincts as a mother led her to Jack's bedroom. She sighed in relief, as she found him sleeping peacefully, not making much of a fuss. He must have felt her presence, because he opened his eyes, and looked up at his mother. "Shush..." Cate said softly, and his eyes closed; off to sleep again it was for him. Her next stop was Paige's room. The fact that it was early in the morning meant that Paige should be sleeping... and this was correct as well. She was snoring, and rolling around. Cate closed the door, and went off to find her husband. "Bellum?" She called. After no reply, she called out his name louder. "Bellum?!" Still no reply. Now quite awake, and worried, Cate shouted. Nothing... "Dammit!" She hissed. "What the Hell's going on?" As if on cue, she heard sinister laughter, and there was a flash of light from behind her. Cate gasped, as she was confronted with an image of Dolere. "So angry... and so pregnant." Dolere laughed, causing Cate to shake with anger. "Looking for someone?" "Go to Hell." Cate spat, throwing a streak of light at the image, and it passed right through. "Now, now... Miss Temper Tantrum, that isn't going to get you what you want..." Dolere's image grinned. "Catherine Elizabeth Black... It's my pleasure to mentally torture you like this..." "Pugnare." Cate hissed. "I am married..." "Oh... How could I forget? Silly me!" Dolere said with a sarcastically cheerful voice. "Bellum Pugnare..." Dolere clapped her hands, and another image appeared next to her. This sent Cate into a hysterical rage, seeing Bellum tied to a chair, gagged, and apparently unconscious. Dolere grinned; this was exactly the effect she had been hoping for. She snapped her fingers, and Bellum's head sat up, and rocked about on the chair. Dolere pulled the gag out of his mouth, and he immediately started to scream as well. "Shut up, both of you!" Dolere yelled over their shouting. Cate glared, and fell silent, only because she knew Bellum's life was in her hands. Dolere grinned, her blue eyes shining. She licked her lips and looked at Bellum, who was currently glaring, and obviously not liking being bound to the chair. She looked at Cate, and ran her fingers through Bellum's hair. "Stop it." Cate said as quietly as she could, through gritted teeth. "Leave him alone. You have a husband of your own..." Dolere grinned again. "You're the only one who can touch him?" "Yes." Cate replied. "Let him go. Take me instead!" "No!" Bellum shouted. "Don't!" "Quiet!" Dolere hissed. "It's not you that I want, Cate. I just want to put you through as much pain as possible. But that isn't all... I have more plans, which I won't spoil right now..." "Then let him go!" "I don't think I will... I kind of like his company... Vulgar words, and violent outbursts... yes, quite alright with me..." Dolere touched Bellum's face this time, and he flinched. "Besides... Draco and I have things figured out. He really did like you loads... And I was falling quite hard for your husband.... Though he never did seem to like me at all.... there's nothing more that we'd love to see than you both suffering. And suffer you will..." She ran her hands through her long blonde hair, and looked at Bellum. "Well, this is beginning to lose its fun... I played this game earlier." Cate made a horrified face, and managed to refrain herself from doing anything. "I think it's time to liven things up a bit..." She paused for a moment to think about something, and snapped her fingers. A long, shiny knife appeared in her hands. "Can you imagine what I get to do with this?" She grinned evilly. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Cate screamed. "Don't! Please, take me instead!" Dolere licked he lips again, and looked at Cate, who was bawling. She looked at Bellum, whose dark brown eyes were filled with fear... She looked again at Cate, who was on her knees, pleading, and crying for her to let him go. "Power... Holding lives in your hands..." She said. By this point, Cate had tried everything. Her powers to appear where she wanted didn't work in this case, nor did the power to possess other bodies. Dolere seemed to have thought of this all, and prevented it before hand. All she could do was hope... hope that everything would turn out alright. Hope that it was all a dream.... Dolere flashed the knife blade, so it gleamed in the light, and held it to Bellum's throat. "As much as I'd love to kill you, Cate.... I can't. This person isn't an heir... Any last words, Pugnares?" "Damn you! You kill him, and I'll kill you personally!" Cate shrieked. Dolere paid no attention to this, and pressed the knife harder into Bellum's throat. He dared not move, but he knew she'd slit his throat eventually. "Cate... Listen! I love you! Tell the kids I love them! When you have the baby, tell her I-" His sentence ended there, and Cate's face was in her hands, while she sobbed, "No! I love you! Please!" Dolere grinned with satisfaction, and drew the bloody knife back, wiping the blood on Bellum's robes. His head was flopped to the side, lifeless. Blood gushed out, staining his robes down the front. She took the knife, and slashed the ropes that bound him to the chair, and his lifeless body fell to the floor, blood still gushing. "Please let it be a dream!" Cate sobbed, through the tears that were starting to soak her front. Dolere had heard this, and she commented, "Oh, but it isn't! It's very real indeed... See for yourself." With another snap of her fingers, Bellum's body disappeared, as did the pool of blood, from her location, to right in front of Cate. Cate looked up at Dolere, and touched the blood. It was still warm, she could feel it... it wasn't a dream. "Hate to leave you hanging... DEAR, but I gotta fly!" Dolere disappeared, and left Cate to sit with her husband's dead body. Cate sobbed, and lay her head on his blood-covered chest, sobbing madly. Now she was alone in the world... Dolere had killed the person she loved the most... No one could ever take his place in her life... no one. The tears didn't stop, nor did Cate move at all. She could head Jack wailing, but she didn't bother to go tend to him. It was odd, and extremely painful for her, as if she herself had died. Moments they had spent together flashed before her eyes, playing themselves in her mind... Her meeting with Bellum.... their marriage... Her fall from the evil throne... their children being born. Everything. The good and the bad. "I love you..." She choked, hoping the words would revive him in some way. She almost expected and "I love you too, Cate." in reply. But she would never hear those words again from him... The blood didn't stop either. Not soon after, there was a pool of not only blood, but also tears. It was still in the middle of the night, or morning; Cate couldn't tell. Nothing mattered to her any longer... She saw the knife lying a few feet from her. Making a mad grab, she grasped the blade, slashing her hand, making it bleed. She watched her blood trickle down, and drop to join Bellum's blood. The tears had run out. She couldn't cry any longer. Her throat was dry, and she could no longer speak. She looked at the knife that was gleaming with her blood; it was metallic silver, instead of the dull gray it had been before... the blood of the Gryffindor heir... Cate took a deep breath, and kissed Bellum's forehead, which happened not to be covered in blood. She touched his soft dark brown hair, her blood wetting it down. She closed her eyes, and brought the knife to her own throat, breathing very heavily. "When you have the baby, tell her I-" Those words echoed in her mind. The sound of her voice filled her ears. Expecting to wake up, again from grief, she looked at Bellum, who was still dead. She couldn't kill herself. She had to have her baby. It was the last memory of him, his last wish that their daughter know he loved her. Jack was still a baby as well, he'd never get to talk to his father... to get to know him. Paige would never have her father approving of future boyfriends, and joking around with her any longer. Felicity... misguided Felicity would have no one now to teach her good. If there had been any hope at all for her, it would have been Bellum to teach her goodness... not Cate. Cate was not truly good at heart, and never would she be, either. Ethan... and Ethan would never have his father at his wedding... no father to turn to for advice in his difficult teenage years... Cate. Cate herself would be scarred the most. He was the only person she really, truly loved. She had no other friends, and shunned the rest of society away. She had the children, but they were nothing compared to him. They could never kiss her, and tell her everything would be all right the way he could... Sirius and Lizzie had always tried, and failed, to get closer to her, but she pushed them away. The only thing keeping Cate alive at the moment was her unborn baby, whom she didn't want to rob of a life. In the blood, she looked at her own reflection, and saw her tear-streaked, face. The blood on her face was a dark red in the reflection... and she looked at Bellum again, no tears to flow at all. How she wanted to cry! The tears didn't come, and when she tried to tell his dead body once more that she loved him, no words came out. She finally set the knife down, away from her throat, unable to end her own life. With her bloodied right hand, she grabbed his. She hated the feeling of it not holding hers back. A cold feeling went through her body, as if trying to tell her something. "You're alone now... No one to love you. The old Cate returns.... quiet, shy... depressive... UNLOVED!" The feeling seemed to be saying... "No!" Her brain replied. "You aren't alone! Other people have died too... that's right.... YOU KILLED THEM!" She grasped for the knife again, but stopped herself. The tears returned, and she buried her head in Bellum's chest, and sobbed to her heart's content. Nothing had every hurt this badly. The first time she died was nothing; a pinch on the arm compared to this. How was she to deal with the pain? How would she survive? "Oh my God!!! Mummy!" Came a shrill scream. The scream came from the top of the stairs, and Cate brought herself to look up. Paige had gone ghostly white, holding Jack in her arms. Tears were welling in her eyes. She screamed again, and passed out. If her legs had been working, Cate would have gotten her... She would have been a good mother, and dabbed her forehead with water, and whispered softly in her ear. But nothing in her body was working. She was frozen on the spot, able to move very little. Jack had not reacted well to falling down with Paige. He screamed louder than ever, and stood himself up on his little baby legs, and slowly climbed down the stairs. "Daddy!" He wailed. His first words had been "Da, Da!" Being barely over a year old, he wasn't able to understand the situation. He didn't know why his mommy pushed him away, and why his daddy didn't answer. He didn't know of what the blood was, or who it belonged to. But he was being ignored, and it was a good enough reason to cry... When Paige managed to drag herself down the stairs, to the marble floor of the entry hall, Jack was now a bloody mess. Crying like a bawling cow, she looked at all the blood and wretched upon seeing it again. She was feeling terribly weak, and an empty space seemed to fill her heart. She was cold, and her teeth were chattering. She touched her mother first, to make sure she was still alive too. Cate didn't have much of a reaction to human touch, she merely turned her tears streaked face in her direction. "Oh God, mum... Is-is-is-is..." She wasn't able to say the word. She didn't think she could face the bleeding obvious fact that her father was dead. Cate nodded, putting her head down again. Paige sobbed, moving her hand from her mother, to her father's face. She knelt in the pool of blood, and put her free hand lightly on her mother's sliced hand. After a few minutes, she could take no more of it all, and wrapped her arms, which were soaked, around her father. "Daddy! I love you!" she repeated, feeling her throat becoming tight. It was only a matter of time until she turned into the ball of nerves that was now her mother... About an hour after, while Paige made a sad attempt to get her grieving mother off the floor, crying, and having almost no physical strength at all... there was a knock on the door. "Cate! Open up! Are you home? I can hear the baby screaming!" It was her grandfather, Sirius Black. "Paige? Bellum? Anyone there?" Unable to speak, Paige walked the few feet to the door, opening it a tiny crack. "Paige?" Sirius asked frantically. "Why is your brother crying? Is something wrong? Where are your parents?" She extended a bloody hand, and Sirius gasped. She opened the door, and threw her arms around her grandfather, sobbing as hysterically as she had been before. Sirius looked down first, at his bloody granddaughter, and realizing the blood wasn't hers. Her looked up, and saw the scene in front of him. "Oh my God." He said slowly, prying Paige off him gently, and kneeling beside Cate. He wasn't sure who was dead, and when Cate shuddered at his touch, it became clear who was... "Catie... I'm sorry... Oh God... Catie... sweetie... dear..." He said, trying to be a source of comfort. Cate was breathing fast, and very heavily. He pulled her off her dead husband, and took her in his own arms. Paige had picked Jack up, and was sitting on the white sofa, shaking. Eyes closed, Cate grabbed Sirius's arm with her uncut, left hand. Her grip was so tight it was painful. "Can you speak, Cate? Sweetie... Listen to me... We need to get the Ministry here..." "Dolere." Cate said blankly. She brought her gaze up, and released herself from her father. "Dolere." "Malfoy? The woman that married Lucius's son?" Sirius asked frantically. Cate nodded. "Image... Appeared. Knife." Cate choked, grasping the knife, this time by the handle. "She killed him. She could have taken me... she killed him..." "We'll make sure the Ministry gets her..." Sirius said, touching her messy, blood soaked hair. "I'll make it right." "It'll never be right..." Cate muttered, making this almost her second full sentence. "Never." ~*~ After Sirius notified the Ministry, the notorious British Wizarding Press caught wind. All they knew of everything was that there was trouble involving Cate, at the mansion. Sirius stood guard, not letting any of them near the house. He didn't care if he was sued for hexing the reporters, who were photographing him left and right. "Eath and Lissy." Cate said blankly to the doctor that had been called for her. Her hand was bandaged, but she was still a mess. "Ethan and Felicity?" The doctor asked. This was the same doctor that had been through everything with her, starting at her downfall. He knew now that she was going to need immediate mental treatment, just to keep her from killing herself. "Eath and Lissy..." "Sir!" The doctor called to a Ministry official. "Her oldest children... they don't know yet..." "We'll take care of that." "Sirius." Cate said. "Send Sirius." "You want your father to tell them?" The doctor asked. Cate nodded. He had gotten very good at deciphering her shaky fragments of speech. "Then send him... NOW!" "Yes, doctor!" Still in his own bloody robes, Sirius nodded when the Ministry member told him. "Whatever happens, don't let the press in..." He said as a final farewell. For Sirius to get to Hogwarts was not a simple matter of appearing. He had to get special Floo Powder from the Chief official, and light a fire in the fireplace. After shouting HOGWARTS, and much complicated traveling by fireplace, he was thrown to the floor in the great hall fireplace. Along with the blood now, were ashes, adding to his distress. "Dad?!" Brynn asked. "Dad?!" Sirius bit his lip, and walked to the teacher's table. It just had to be breakfast... All the students were there... Dumbledore's misty blue eyes were filled with worry upon seeing him, and Sirius leaned forward, to whisper the events in his ear. His jaw dropped ever so slightly, and he stood up. "Mr. Ethan Pugnare, and Miss Felicity Pugnare... please follow Mr. Black... You are also dismissed from school for however long you need." He said. Upon hearing her name, Felicity turned her head, seeing her grandfather, who was a mess. Ethan's heart pounded, he had been watching the whole time. Crystal waved at Sirius, who looked away, tears filling his eyes yet again. Felicity left Blick, Ariana, and Malicia at the Slytherin Table, wondering why she had been dismissed from school. Sirius led them to a secluded hallway, and faced them both. "You mother can't be here to do this herself..." He started. "Mom?!" Ethan breathed frantically. "Did something happen to her?" "No." Sirius replied, looking at the young adults. "Your father." Felicity gasped sharply, knowing what Sirius was going to say, while Ethan managed to remain some composure. "W-Wha-What happened?" "There's been a murder..." Sirius sniffled. "Your father was killed in the wee hours of the morning. Your mum's in shock, and she needs you home." Felicity shoved all her image behind her, and threw herself at Sirius much like Paige did. But she was not a bloody mess, and Sirius could touch her hair, without the slimy feeling. She sobbed into his chest, forgetting all her sinister views for the moment... Ethan stood, crying silently. Grief had overcome him, taking all his feelings... He had left his father on rather bad terms, and this angered him. It was as if there was a little ball of anger inside him, longing to let itself out, and punch something... hurt something... kill something? Felicity interrupted his thoughts when she grabbed his and Sirius's hands, and they disappeared on the spot... Now he and his sister would have to face what the other members of his family had already seen... ~*~ School had been dismissed for the funeral, as most students were attending with their parents already. Fitting for the situation, the weather was rainy, and the sky was gray. Cate looked out the window. She was draped in all black, from head to toe. Her hat cast shadows over her face, making her bloodshot eyes appear ever more frightening than they already were. She had always liked the rain, but the past few days, she found it extremely hard to like anything at all... even herself. In fact, she blamed herself for everything that had happened somehow, no matter how much Ethan told her she did all she could. She bit her lip, and turned away from the window, and to the nightstand beside the bed. From it, she pulled a knife. It wasn't the same knife that took Bellum's life, nor the same one that had slashed her hand. It had a small blade, but it was still a knife. She stared at it for a few moments, and raised it to the level of her neck. Then there was a knock on the door, and she gasped, and shoved it back in the nightstand drawer. "Mum, are you alright?" Ethan called. "Are you ready?" "Oh... yes." Cate said quietly, so Ethan could barely hear her. "I'm coming." It was a small wait for the limousine, and the Pugnares waited in the entryway, all a mass of black huddled together. The ride was silent, and a torture in its own right. But it was nothing compared to the funeral. Cate howled the entire time, and stared down at herself. Several things were bothering her as well... her jewelry. A beautiful diamond tennis bracelet glittered on her wrist. It had been a git from Bellum on their first anniversary. She couldn't stand to look at it anymore, due to painful memories. She unlinked it, and handed it to Felicity, who put it on. The other thing was her wedding ring. This she kept on, and it was a very painful reminder of everything they had before... She touched it over and over, while Ethan kept his arm around her for comfort. She even saw Meagan at the funeral, and felt no desire to hurt her, or insult her. Numerous sympathy cards were handed to her and her family, and upon every new one, Cate cried harder. It was as if she was the only one that didn't accept Bellum's death. Was she the only one that cared? She couldn't hear properly, either. Everything was strangely echoed, and inaudible to her. The ceremony was long, and everyone was packed together. Between Ethan and Elizabeth, Cate sat, shaking slightly, flexing her wounded hand, which she had torn the bandage from. She couldn't feel the pain, but she saw the wound split open, and blood trickled out. Ethan shook his head, and pulled a wad of tissues from the pocket of his black robes, and dabbed her hand with them. Life was going to be hard now... Very hard, for everyone. Cate felt something pulling her up lightly, and Lizzie was motioning for her to stand. She pulled herself to her feet, and stood, watching the Pall Bearers carrying the coffin out. She looked at the ring on her fingers, and tried to take a seat again, but was held up by Lizzie and Ethan. The two managed to drag her to the burial, ignoring the shouts of, "I CAN'T!" And many tries to collapse on the floor to prevent them from taking her. Getting her to stand at the cemetery was no easy job either, as she simply refused to do it. She leaned back while Ethan and now Sirius held her up. The Press was doing nothing useful either, photographing the Blacks and the Pugnares in obvious distress, saving all their photos for some sort of "Special Issue." Cate was shaking again, but was standing on her own. She saw the hole in the ground, in the rectangular shape of the coffin... "No." She muttered. Sirius looked at her. "What?" He asked. "No!" Cate gasped, this time louder. "No!" She gave Sirius and Ethan a shove, and broke free from their grips. She took a breath, and looked all around. The men lowering the coffin were staring at her, and she narrowed her eyebrows at them. "STOP!" She shouted at them. "Open it." "Open what, lady?" The first one asked. "The coffin." Cate hissed, pointing at the coffin. She looked insane, and murderous. "Open it!" "Lady, your husband is dead!" The second man said, backing away. "Dammit, open it!" She shouted, casting a murderous glare at the man. The whole crowd was staring, open mouthed, at her. The men hurriedly opened the coffin, and Cate dropped to her knees in another fit of tears. She crawled over to the coffin, and slipped her wedding ring off her left ring finger. She shakily placed it in the coffin, on Bellum's chest. "Mom... Come on." Ethan whispered, coming forward, and pulling her back up. Cate sniffled, and went back to her not moving at all phase. She stared forward the rest of the burial, something mentally eating away her conscience. "Cate?" Someone asked softly, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. Cate, who had been sitting by herself, looked up to face Meagan. "What do YOU want?" She hissed. "I'd just like to say I'm sorry." Meagan said. She really hated to apologize to Cate, for everything she never did... "For everything that's happened... Sorry I insult you, and make your life even harder than it is... And if you need anything at all right now... just ask." "Why would I need anything from you?" Cate shot back. "You've got a husband... oh, and little Cate doesn't anymore... what a perfect time for you to make this known... There's nothing I want in this world now... what I want, I can never have. Oh, but you got what you wanted... that was James Potter... you didn't get him, but you got his son. Talk about desperate. In your eyes, Harry is James... and you're happy... I bet nothing makes you happier than to see me like this... you can finally win. You finally get more good attention from the press because I've gone mad. Mad!" "Mum!" Ethan hissed, pulling her up. "Sorry, Mrs. Potter... she's not alright at the moment... "Sorry!" "It's okay... this is normal of her... I should have kept to myself." Meagan turned to leave, wondering what on Earth possessed her to even talk to Cate, especially in her state. It might have been the good virtues inside her that felt sorry for her. Or perhaps it was that bit of pride... She wished Ethan luck; he was a good kid. More like his father, she thought. Felicity was like Cate, but even now she couldn't help crying. She thought Paige was more like her grandparents than either of her parents. She was cheerful, talkative, and a sweet young girl. Jack was too young to know anything about him, but he was adorable, and would probably be like Ethan in her opinion. How Cate's children contradicted her in most ways... ~*~ Felicity went back to school earlier than Ethan did. Ethan stayed home to make sure Cate didn't kill anyone, including herself. She had made threats to the doctor, and was talking again... not that it was a good thing. She was an angry ball of rage, and sat by herself locked in her room most of the day. Back at Hogwarts, Felicity found it hard to cope with her circle of friends, especially Ariana. "Your mother." She said, clenching her fists. "She killed my father." Ariana's jaw dropped, and she backed away. "But I didn't!" She said, watching Felicity's eyes glint evilly. "I just don't think this will work any longer... My mother is a mess, and my father is gone forever. I can't be your friend any longer, knowing your mother did this, and you'll probably turn out just like her!" "Fine... you're going to be just like your mother anyways!" Ariana hissed. "Beautiful... great... But a problem. You'll fall in love, and your life will end. Then the mental breakdowns will begin.... Just like your mother." "Ignore her." Blick whispered in her ear. "Turn around..." Felicity bit her lip, and looked at Malicia, who was on her side. "It's okay, Lissy... I only have one parent too... My mother is dead." "Why didn't you ever say anything?" Felicity asked, trying to take her mind off her father, and Ariana. "Because my father killed her." Malicia replied, as if it were nothing. "She wasn't like us... But you can be... I can help you solve all your problems... You can get your revenge... Don't you want that?" Felicity nodded... Her path to the dark side had begun... ~*~ Every night, Cate took out the knife, and pondered whether she should die or live. As an heir, if she killed herself, life was over. If she had the will to die, she would. But she couldn't... the same reason overcame all every time. She wanted her unborn daughter to live. She couldn't deprive her own child, the last of Bellum's memory, she thought, of a life... The knife went back into the drawer again, as always, and she stared into the night sky, thinking about her life. "I'm not meant to be loved... or to love." She sighed. "Anyone I'm close to dies... Who'll be next? Ethan? Lissy? Paige? Jack?" She paused, and looked around the room. Dirty clothes littered the floor... the room hadn't been cleaned lately. There were photographs on the dressers, and on the walls, which Cate couldn't look at. It hurt too much. "No one even seems to care... I was the child no one wanted... the little outcast... The psychopathic adult... The nervous breakdown... Everyone has this idea that a doctor will help... what's it going to do? Are they going to put me on even more medication so I won't kill the entire population?" Her mind began to wander, to nothing in particular. When she closed her eyes, she saw blue jewel. "The Sapphire!" She gasped. Then her heart fell... She had destroyed it years and years ago, so Meagan could never talk to her dead friends... Why did she have to do that? The small mistakes she had made came back to haunt her now... She left the window, and lay down on the bed. She closed her eyes. "Cate... Listen! I love you!" Echoed in her mind. Almost 17 years of being happy... gone. Yet something else lingered in the back of her head... the time she had talked to Meagan alone... about the child Meagan lost... She had said she watched her grow up as the conversation mysteriously changed subject. Then why didn't she ever do anything? It was obvious that Cate had never been happy... And she watched? She watched the children of her best friends suffer? It was something that had nagged at her, but Cate could never figure out why. Her life was turning into a living Hell... again. 


	21. We Love Our Dear Departed

Chapter 21 We Love Our Dear Departed Meagan's head nodded sleepily. She hadn't slept for days. She couldn't. But now she couldn't stand it. Her weariness had gotten the better of her and made her sit. Dizzy. dizzy. dizzy. Her head finally drooped. Then, she felt a tingling sensation. She didn't bother to look up. Then, she heard a something. Her head snapped up. "Ahhh! Meagan, how nice to see you again!" exclaimed Godric Gryffindor. Meagan pushed herself up violently. She stumbled. She was shorter. She looked down at herself. She was 16! No, wait a minute. Not 16! She was as old as she used to be. just. "I'm not DEAD am I!?" she shrieked wildly, wobbling on unsteady legs. "Indeed not, my girl," Gryffindor said, grinning at his heir. "Then why am I here?" she asked, trying to take a breath but failing. Gryffindor smiled, a genuine smile of love. "You brought yourself here," he said. "How?" "You wish to mend Cate's life by giving Bellum back to her." "Your point.?" "It is an act of love. It is the most unselfish type of love there is. She has hurt you many times, and yet you forget that and try to bring her piece. It is something that makes you an heir, my child. It is one of Gryffindor's many virtues." "B-but.. How did I bring myself here? I'm not dead! I cannot take my soul out of my body and float around!" "I beg to differ. You see, you are immortal in some ways. Your mortal- ness binds you to the earth, where you carry out acts of love. Your immortal-ness lets you carry out things that are impossible for a mortal. Why are you partly immortal, you ask? You have died and lived to tell about it, my dear. It is not a thing every mortal can do." Meagan sat down on thin air. She just plunked down in midair. She looked at the stars surrounding her. It was true. she didn't want Padfoot's daughter to suffer. She was a Black. Meagan licked her lips, her eyes deep blue. She let her eyes wander in and out of focus. "There is someone that wants to see you," Gryffindor said, his voice gentle. Meagan focused her eyes. She looked up at him and looked into blue- green eyes that she had. She blinked and tore her eyes away. "Meagan!" came a shout. Meagan turned around. She gave a shuddering gasp. Bellum stood there, his eyes deeply troubled. He was covered in blood. He was in robes of white. But what was startling about his appearance, however, was not the fact he was covered in blood. It was the face that his throat was torn open and in shreds. She ran to him. "Bellum!" she said. She hugged him and stepped back. "How are you?" she asked, her voice croaky. "I'm dead. How do you think I am?" he retorted. "True," Meagan said, nodding. She sighed. "I wish you were an heir." She said. "Why?" inquired Bellum. "Because you would get another shot at life," she said, looking at Gryffindor. For the first time in her very long life, Meagan considered how much she looked like Godric Gryffindor. He was dressed in long red robes, the same as she was at the moment. His brown hair was tousled like hers. His blue eyes sparkled like hers did when they weren't changing colors. His round face looked like a proud father's looking at his highly achieved daughter. She couldn't help but smile at him. He smiled back with the same straight, white teeth she had. "Some of your other friends would like to see you," he said, breaking the trans. "Meagan! Blue Eyes!" came a shriek. Meagan spun on heel and saw Lily. "Lily!" she yelled, hugging one of her best friends' wives. Bellum's eyes misted over as he watched them. "It's so good to see you again!" Meagan said, putting her hair behind her ears. "I agree. Godric has allowed me to watch my grandchildren from here. You are doing well, bringing them up, Blue Eyes. They are a lot like you and Harry." Lily said. She sniffed. Meagan had the incentive to think that Lily would have been crying if she could. "I miss you." Meagan said. "I do too." Lily said, shaking her head and making her lively red hair bounce. Meagan smiled at her long, lost friend. "I hope you forgive me for not saving you. I tried, honest I did." She said. Lily waved the apology away. "It wasn't your fault, Meagan, there was nothing you could do. And at least you tried. You could've died trying to save me. If you had died, you wouldn't have had Crystal, Neil, Jo, Jess, and Nita. And the little one on the way. Look at yourself! You're a famous Quidditch player! You're a great singer! You're a wife and mother! You couldn't've turned out better!" she said, patting Meagan's shoulder. Meagan nodded. "Meagan! Gryffindor girl!" came a shout of pure joy. Meagan whirled around. "Michael." She whispered. Indeed it was. Michael came up to her and hugged her tightly. "Hufflepuff boy!" Meagan said, shoving him off. He grinned at his pet name. "How's it been on Earth amongst the living? Wait, don't answer that, I've been watching you." He said. Meagan pulled him into a headlock and gave him a nugie. She laughed, her eyes purple. "I've missed you all." Meagan said. "We have too," Lily said. "I can't believe I can live-erm, I mean, I can't stand not having you around!" Michael said. "I miss everyone!" Bellum said. Meagan pulled them all into a hug. "It's not life without you goobers," she said, her eyes deep sea blue. They all laughed. Meagan grinned. "I think there's some people who miss you dearly, my young Gryffindor." Gryffindor said. Meagan turned to face him. "Who?" she asked softly, knowing who it was but not daring to believe it. "You know whom," he said, his face looking worried for the daughter he never had. He had always had sons. "Meagan, my baby," said a female voice Meagan had heard ever since she was born. It sent a chill up her spine. She shuddered involuntarily. "Our little one," said a male voice Meagan also recognized. A couple with graying hair stood off to her right. Their hair was black and they both had brown eyes. They looked at her through thin-wired spectacles. Meagan turned away, not wanting to look. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into the face of her antecedent, her ancestor. She buried her face in his red robes. "No," she whispered. "It's okay, my little one," Gryffindor said, deeply troubled. "Mom. Dad." Meagan said, shaking. "Honey, its okay, its okay," her mother, Patricia Delmore, said as Meagan gave dry sobs into her long white robes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Meagan muttered over and over again. "We've been watching you," soothed her father, Josh Delmore, stroking her hair. "You're an excellent mother." "No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I couldn't save you, I'm sorry, all my fault." Meagan mumbled. Nothing but pure sadness had taken hold of her. "It wasn't, Meagan, you can't save everyone," said her father. "No," Meagan moaned, "No. Too many deaths. Too many loves broken. Noooooooooo." "Blue Eyes, please," Lily said, now by Meagan's side. "Nooooooo." moaned Meagan. "It's not okay! It was Voldemort! It was all Voldemort! He killed you all! He did this! He killed Lily and James! He killed Lizzie and put Sirius in Azkaban! He turned Peter bad! He left Remus alone! He broke up the Marauders! He made Harry and Cate orphans! He killed my Harriet! He destroyed the O.U.P. and killed Michael! He killed my mom and dad and all the innocent muggles in the World Trade Center! He did it! HE DID IT!" she roared, sitting up. Gryffindor watched her with sad eyes. "It is all true. All of it is true, Meagan, you are right. That is why you must destroy him." He said. Meagan's mother stroked Meagan's hair. "You should have told us. We never knew." Said her father. "I couldn't tell you!" Meagan said. "You never did look like us," mumbled her mother, "but you look just like Godric Gryffindor. But we love you anyway. It's all right." "It's not all right! I have to get Voldemort! I have to get him!" Meagan said, standing up and stumbling into Michael. He helped her up. "Noooooooooo!" she shrieked. "Noooooooooo!" Gryffindor placed his hand on her forehead. Yellow light poured out of his hand and coursed through Meagan. Meagan looked dazed for a moment. She got up. "Thanks." She said quietly. "It's going to be okay, Meagan, I know it. You and Marykate and the others will all set it right. It just takes some time." Gryffindor said, now stroking her hair. "I know," she said, "and I know you'll help me." "Meagan! MEAGAN!" came a voice from far off. Very far off. She recognized the voice as Harry's voice. She felt like she was being shaken. "Oh, God, no! Don't be dead! Please don't be dead!" he yelled. His voice was croaky, as if he were crying. "It is time you must go, my little one," Gryffindor said. He gave her something. A package. Bellum came up to her, his eyes pleading. "Please, take this to Cate. Tell her I love her. Tell her to take care of the baby. I love her!" he said, handing Meagan something. Another package. Before he could withdraw his hand, she held it. "I will." She said. "I never wanted it to turn out like this." She gave his hand a squeeze. He turned his head away. "I know. Godric says I can become a ghost if I want to. I dunno though. I think it will break Cate's heart." He said. Meagan kissed him on the forehead. "I never wanted her to go bad. I never wanted you to die. I never wanted it to turn out like this. I swear, by the power of the Four Founders, by the Gryffindor blood that runs through my veins, I will bring this to Cate. I will protect your children. I'll do it for you. I swear." Meagan ran her fingers through his hair. "I trust you." He said. Meagan's grip tightened on the things she had received. She closed her eyes and willed herself to be back again. She opened her eyes before everything went black, and shouted, "I miss you!" Godric frowned a little. "Come back some time!" he said, his lips now twitching into a small smile. Before Meagan could say anything else, her throat stopped working. She closed her eyes and was swallowed by darkness. ~*~ "I feel strange." Crystal said. "Something isn't right." Brian looked at her. "How do you know?" he asked. "A feeling. My mum told me to trust my feelings." She said. "Wanna check it out?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah." They snuck along the corridors, looking for something unusual. They did this for so long a time that it was dark when they got back to the common room. As Brian turned to walk up to the boys' dormitories, Crystal said, "Hey. Thanks a lot." Brian turned around and grinned. "No prob. I'll do anything for a friend." He said. He walked up to and disappeared into the boys' dormitories. Crystal watched him until he disappeared from sight. She sighed and threw herself onto one of the chairs. She stared at the fire until she felt drowsy. Her head nodded a few times and her eyes flickered open and shut. Finally, she couldn't fight the sleep off any longer. Without warning, her head dropped onto her chest and stayed there. When she awoke, she was no longer in the common room. She got up and looked around. Where was she? She looked around again. She was in Hogwarts, that was for sure, but for some reason the students were all gone. She wandered through the castle and onto the grounds. That's where she saw it. "Today we are here to honor..." Dumbledore said. He continued to talk, but Crystal wasn't listening. She walked up to the front. No one noticed her. Was she invisible? She didn't know. Everyone was crying. Crystal looked at all the familiar faces. Then, she saw her father. He looked younger. She didn't know how, though, because everyone else looked older. She looked around again and gasped. She saw herself. An older version of herself. Her older self looked around the age of forty. She was crying. Crystal never cried. She looked at her father again. He wasn't moving. His wide eyes looked into space. He didn't react to the touch of his father, James Potter. "It's all right, Harry, she couldn't live forever. She's lived a long time. She was around one hundred, same as me, Harry. You have to accept that fact. She couldn't live forever. I loved her too." James was saying. Who died? She wondered. Cate, an older Cate, was on her knees howling. Cate? Who died? Crystal wondered again. "I had a dream about this! I didn't think it would come true!" howled Crystal's older self. She turned to listen to Dumbledore. "And now we have a statue to honor or dear friend. A statue seems small compared to the task she preformed that had killed her. She killed the dark wizard that has roamed our world for decades. She killed Voldemort." Dumbledore's eyes were filled with tears. "We now say our final goodbye to our hero and loved one. Meagan Potter." He said. Crystal fell to her knees. Dumbledore took the cloth off of an object next to him. It was a statue. A statue of Meagan Potter. The pedestal read "Meagan the Mischievous." It was a beautiful statue. It depicted her mother in long robes. She had her arms spread open. a sign of peace. She was grinning her mischievous grin that made everyone smile when they were down. Her hair was billowing out behind her. Her eyes were wide. Her feet were placed daintily one in front of the other. Crystal screamed. She stumbled, clutching her face. Horrible. horrible. horrible. Dumbledore waved his wand and the statue flooded with color. The statue of her mother's robes turned blood red. Her hair became a nice shade of brown. Her teeth became white and sparkling. Her shoes were yellow. Her skin became tan. The last thing to be colored was the eyes. They were blue-green. A sparkling blue-green with a tint of purple. It was an exact replica of Meagan. Crystal screamed an unearthly scream. Suddenly, the world began to shake. "NOOOOO!" she screamed, falling to her knees. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" ~*~ "MEAGAN!" Harry cried. Meagan's eyes snapped open. Everything was blurry. She blinked a few times. The world came into focus. "You're alive!" Harry shouted joyously. Meagan, tears starting to pour down her face, hugged Harry tightly. "Don't ever die. Don't ever die without me." She whispered into Harry's shoulder. Harry held her, rubbing her back to comfort her. "I won't," he said, "I won't. I promise." Meagan's bloodless fists were clutching things she had received from Gryffindor and Bellum. Meagan, sniffing, wiped her eyes and sat up. "It was just a bad dream." Harry soothed. "Was it?" Meagan asked, showing him the things Gryffindor and Bellum had given her. Hands shaking, she began to open what Gryffindor had given her. A variety of things spilled into her lap. One of the things glowed so brightly Harry and Meagan had to shield their eyes. Meagan's jaw dropped as she picked up a small, round, golden ball. "It's back." She whispered. "What is it?" Harry asked, not recognizing it. Meagan's hair flew back off her face as she raised it to her face. Her blue eyes sparkled with awe. She caressed it gently with one finger. "It's the O.U.P.," she said in a hushed voice. "It's the Orb of Unstoppable Power?" Harry asked, in an equally hushed voice. Meagan nodded and closed her eyes as she closed her fist around it. The smooth metal tingled against her fingers. Suddenly, she glowed and a strong wind blew around her. Taking shaky breaths, she placed it back in the Gryffindor encrusted bag. She picked up a second stone. Meagan recognized it. It was the sapphire. She carefully placed it back in the bag. She picked up another item. Her hair fell about her face in swirls of dark brown. It drew a curtain around her face as she leaned over the thing. "It's. it's." she whispered, lost for words. "What?" asked Harry anxiously, seeing tears well up in Meagan's eyes. She gave a sob and placed it facing down. She lifted it again and took a deep breath. "It's. my journal. Actually, everyone's journal. We all wrote in it. We recorded our feelings. We recorded our very souls into this book. Marykate lost it and we never saw it again." She flipped the book open and flipped through to a special entry: Dear journal, It's me, Meagan, again. Today is graduation day. I can't imagine life without Hogwarts. I haven't grown at all since Dumbledore's father, Albert Dumbledore, gave us his "gift." I think we're going to stay this way forever, Marykate and me. It scares me. If I don't grow up, I can't get a job. I won't be able to find a home. I can't go back to my parental units, because they don't know about Hogwarts. I think I'll go insane. No more Marauders. No more life! I don't think I could stand it! I think I might have to. I'm going to have to hide this entry from the others. No one can see this but Marykate and me. Oh! They've just called my name! I've got to go! Bon voyage! But before anything, Appareo! Entry from: Blue Eyes Tears leaked silently down Meagan's face. She placed the bag down, some things still remaining in it, and sobbed silently into Harry's shoulder. ~*~ "CRYSTAL!" came a shout from who knows where. Crystal felt the world shaking harder. "CRYS!" This time it was more than one voice. "MOOOOOOOOOONLIGHT!" came a frightened cry. It was Brain's voice. Crystal's eyes snapped open. "Oh, dear God, no," she said, flying forward and cracking heads with Fred. Fred gave me a howl and wrenched himself backwards. She spat something out. It was a feather. She stared blankly at it. It was then she realized she was covered in feathers. "What? Where? How?" Crystal said. "It was a dream, Moonlight." Brian said. "Yeah, but it was awesome when that chair exploded! You should have seen Mac's face when the chair he was sitting in suddenly threw him across the room!" George said, cracking. "And when the pillow hit old McGonagall in the face!" Fred said. That brought Crystal to her senses. "I WHAT?" she asked. "You hit me in the face, Ms. Potter." Said McGonagall. Crystal groaned and sunk in her chair. "I didn't mean to. I had a horrid nightmare." She said. "That is quite all right, Ms. Potter, but I'm afraid you're going to have quite some time cleaning this mess." "HA, HA, HAAAAAAA!" laughed George. "Maybe you, too, would like to clean this up, Mr. Weasley." Professor McGonagall said. That shut him up. Crystal sank lower into her chair. "What fun." She said sarcastically. "For every action, there is a reaction and a chore." ~*~ Meagan cradled three children in her arms. A doctor entered, shaking his head sadly. His eyes were round with an unspoken apology. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Potter. Angelina is. deaf. There's nothing we can do about it. I'm sorry." The doctor said. Meagan practically dropped one of the infants. "Deaf?" she asked, startled. Her eyes grew wide and yellow. The yellow rapidly melted into deep blue. "Angelina can't. she's a Potter! She's my baby! She can't be!" Meagan said, tears welling in her eyes. Harry, who was standing next to her, shook his head sadly and placed a hand on her shoulder. Meagan was going into hysterics. "No!" she wailed, "Can't you do something? You're a wizard, for God's sake, do something man!" The doctor only shook his head. She sobbed into Harry's shoulder. "No, no, no, she's a Potter." She said. "And there's another thing, Angelina is also." he said something in Meagan's ear. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" Meagan cried in pure horror and sorrow. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" ~*~ "NOOOOOOOOO!" Meagan sat up, quickly. "What?" Harry asked, sitting up also. "No, no, no," she said, her words muffled, "Not again, please, no." Harry put his hands on her shoulders. "What is it?" he asked, his eyes wide. Meagan looked up at him with horrified eyes. "I think I'm dreaming of the future, again." She whispered. "What's so bad about that?" Harry asked, rubbing her back to comfort her. "Last time I dreamed of the future. was in school. In the Marauder Years. My dreams would come true. It was horrible. horrible. Things happened. Not good things. I don't want it to happen again." She said, starting to cry. "It won't, I'll make sure," he said. "No, there's nothing anyone can do," Meagan said, "Nothing to do but hope." ~*~ "So, Night Rider, what classes are you gonna pick?" Crystal asked Brain. Brain bit his lip. "Divination sounds interesting. How about that?" he asked. "Okay," Crystal said, shrugging, "Care of Magical Creatures sounds good, too." "Okay." "My mom and dad took those classes." "So.?" "I feel like we're walking in their footsteps." "Your point?" "What if.?" "Ewww! No! Just. no! Definitely not!" "Just a thought." Crystal sighed. She never wanted that type of relationship with Brain or any of the other Modern-Day Marauders. As far as she was concerned, she was going to keep it that way. "Brain?" she asked. "What?" he asked. "Promise me we'll never do anything like that. Deal?" she inquired, holding out her hand. Brain grinned, grabbing her outstretched hand and shaking it vigorously. "Deal." 


	22. Torn Apart

Chapter 22 Torn Apart Darkness had settled over Cate's household by the time Ethan went back to school. Cate sat by herself as much as possible, wrapped in blankets, a box of tissues nearby. Sirius and Lizzie took turns spending time with Cate, Paige, and Jack to make sure nothing else plagued them. "Come on Catie, dear." Lizzie said, shaking Cate lightly. "You have to wake up, no matter how much you don't want to." Cate sighed, and opened her eyes to look up at her mother from the couch she had fallen asleep on the previous night. Slowly, she said, "I don't know if I'd rather be asleep at all, though." Lizzie sighed, her blue eyes filled with worry. She sat down beside her oldest daughter, and stroked her hair. Cate squirmed uncomfortably and moved away. She rejected all human touch at this point, though speech was more common than it had been in the early stages of Bellum's death. "Sweetheart... you've got to get up." Lizzie tried to coax. Cate sat where she was and buried her face in her blankets, in tears again. Lizzie had no luck with Cate. It was no use trying for her; Sirius was better at it. "You always were more your father's child." She whispered, and pulled the blankets off Cate to kiss her forehead. Sirius stood watching at the foot of the stairs with Paige standing close to him, and he cradled Jack in his arms. Lizzie left Cate and looked to Sirius. Paige bit her lip, and stepped out to hug her grandmother. "Is my mum going to be all right?" She asked softly. She felt Lizzie hug her tighter, and could tell that she didn't know. "Eventually, Paigie." Sirius answered for Lizzie. "It takes time." "Sirius, go talk to her." Lizzie said sternly. "She needs you. She talks to you." Sirius looked at the mass of blankets on the living room couch that was his daughter. He shifted Jack to his other side, and then looked at Paige. Paige's eyes seemed to be pleading with him. She looked more like her father than she did her mother, with her lighter colored brown hair and deep brown eyes. There was no hint of golden flecks at the moment, and she was completely serious, yet Sirius could sense the mischief that had once lived in her. She reminded him of what he had been like when he was a child when she was cheerful. These were just a few of the reasons she was his favorite grandchild. "Hold Jack." He said to Lizzie, handing over the baby. "Paige, if you'd like to see her, I think Bridgett is in the basement." Paige nodded, and walked slowly in the direction of the door that led to the Quidditch Field of a basement. Lizzie sighed, and kissed him softly before heading up the stairs with Jack. Before him lie difficult tasks in its own right. He had to in some way touch Cate's heart. He knew that only one person had ever seemed to get in her heart before... but that one person was gone. He also knew that her heart had been shattered, and if not careful of himself, he could end up doing this too... "Cate?" He asked softly. Cate peered out at him, lifting the blankets from her face. "Nice to see you in the ranks of the living." Cate didn't reply. She stared hard at him, her eyes were dark, as if shutters behind them had been shut, letting no light in... Just as Sirius's had been during his days in Azkaban and a few years after his escape. Miserable and sulking, Cate reminded Sirius of himself as well as Paige did. She was like he was while in Azkaban. She had no will to live, but there was something keeping her alive. Her unborn child. In Azkaban, no one had a will to live. But Sirius had been different. He had been innocent... and he had a mad fury within him to get out. To get out and make better the lives of his friends... and their children. "You remind me of myself." He finally said, voicing his opinion aloud to Cate. Cate sighed, and her hard stare fell to a mournful gaze. Feeling it was now safe to sit next to her, he took the seat next to her on the couch. She didn't move away. "How?" She asked softly. "How am I like you?" Sirius could tell she was mocking him slightly, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "I had lost all hope for life once too. I was alone, and in a cold place. No one to comfort me, or even any soul at all to talk to. The people I loved and cared for most were gone. But I had a small ray of hope. I knew you were out there. Thoughts of you and your mother kept me alive. "I knew Harry would be all right... but Lily and James were gone. All I could hope for was that you and Lizzie escaped that excuse for a man... "There was nothing I could do. Day after day, I sat there, like you are..." Cate stared at him for a moment in wonder. She bit her lip, and replied coldly, "I can't break free from my prison. My prison is my own body. It's not that easy... when you've loved someone nearly 17 years, and suddenly that person is gone. We all know that I'd have killed myself too, if Bellum had not chosen his last words so carefully, and if I were not pregnant. My own mind is eating away at itself, torturing me with painful memories every hour. I've got no escape, not even sleep!" "But could you do that, Cate?" Sirius said softly. "If you weren't pregnant, would you leave Jack, Paige, Felicity, and Ethan to grow up without any parents at all? Jack would have no memories of you, and if so, they'd be very vague. Could you do that, Cate?" Cate did not reply. She looked again at Sirius, as if she hated him with all her might. His eyes stared into hers, and she turned away, unable to face her own reflection in them. "It all would have been better if I had never been born! Everything would have been different! You- you'd be with mum happily... and Bellum would still be alive! Meagan would go happily about her life, nothing to constantly block her path to her own greatness. No one would have to suffer... If I had never even been born!" "Oh, Catie!" Sirius cried, moving closer to her, and wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her forehead, and let her sob freely on his shoulder. "That's not true... No matter what, everyone suffers. Your presence doesn't change that. I know that things wouldn't be as you thing they would be. You being born was the best thing that could have happened! And Bellum, he'd probably have been killed on his sort of secret mission. Your children! You have beautiful kids; beyond all reason... look at them once, Cate. Each little fiber of them all is part of you and Bellum... I want me to look me in the eyes now, and tell me that everything would be better off if you had never been born." "I can't!" Cate sobbed, her face still buried in his arms. "You win. Not only now am I lonely, but I'm stupid too! Now I'm kept on the planet with the knowledge that it was a good thing I was born. So it was a good thing I was a killer... I'm sure the world could do without me." "No." Sirius whispered. "It couldn't. I couldn't! Your mother couldn't! Or your kids, or my kids! People do love you! I'm living proof." "But everything is taken from me. Anyone I love is taken from me. It's probably best that you stay as far away as you possibly can. You'll probably be next to go..." "No Cate... I swear on my parents' graves, that nothing else will happen to you or your loved ones." "Don't make a promise you can't keep." Cate sniffled. "I didn't... just trust me." Cate slowly drifted off to an uneasy sleep, while Sirius ran his hands through her hair. He suddenly felt sleep coming on, and painful thoughts were arising in the back of his mind... Slowly conquering all... He lay his head on top of Cate's and drifted off as well.... "Noo! Please! It wasn't me! You can't--" shouted a young man with dark brown hair, dressed in crisp gray robes. His sentence was cut off short due to him being slammed into the wall. He turned around, to face the people that had put him in this place. "Speak not, Sirius Black, servant of the Dark Lord. Get comfortable, and enjoy your permanent residence. All that belonged to you has been taken care of. You took care of the rest, selling your friends..." Sirius shouted, and looked at the face of Barty Crouch. Crouch grinned a wiry grin, and closed the jail cell, and spoke to the Dementors on either side of him. "Watch him closely. Treat him no better than the rest of these beings in the wretched dump. No more than the necessary meals. Make sure he suffers. No visitors, not that anyone would care to ever visit him." At that, Crouch turned to leave. Sirius had hold of the bars, and was shaking with anger; he managed to say, "Then take care of my remaining friends and their children!" Crouch stopped suddenly, and wheeled around to face Sirius. Sirius was breathing heavily, trying to ignore the presence of the Dementors. "You have no friends." Crouch said shortly. Then he left. Turning around, so the Dementors were out of his view, Sirius slumped down against the wall. The fortress of Azkaban was an awful place. He was sure that his cell was the worst in the entire prison. The walls were stained with blood, and the floor was covered in layers of dust, crawling with bugs, the pavement uneven. If the appearance was awful, then the sounds were unbearable. People were moaning, crying, and sending piercing screams into the cold air. There was rattling of chains, and the sounds of people in pain. Then there was the smell. Death's scent was all around. He could smell it, as he never had before. It wreaked, and made his stomach churn. People were dying, whether or not they deserved to. He already longed for a breath of fresh air! But he longed for his friends even more. His last memory of the Potters was painful. They knew that something was going to happen; Lily always had a sense for that sort of thing. He knew it too. He had hugged them all before he left... left them for good. He hadn't seen Lizzie and Cate in more than a year. He had gotten no letter, or done anything at all. Lizzie had told him not to, and he had heeded her. What was the matter with him? The plight of his friends was entirely his fault. He had caused this... And every single day, without fail, these were the memories that haunted him for the next 13 years.... "I can't endure this!" Sirius thought. He wasn't sure if he was talking aloud or not. Whatever the case, he was sure the Dementors could hear his thoughts anyhow. "There's no cause to my life... Locked in Azkaban forever. The Marauders are broken... Forever. Lizze and her baby are gone... Harry's off to live with Muggles. They all hate me for sure now! That bastard, Peter! What did he ever have against us! Lily and James are dead... Lord knows where Meagan is, hating me off by herself. Remus has no one to understand him; hatred has probably got to him too. Lizzie... dragged off to America, little Cate along with her. There's nothing I, Sirius Black can do. I'm in a mess that not even the Marauders united could get out of... What's become of your life, Sirius?" He pounded the floor with a fist, and made the mistake of looking at a Dementor. Tall, dark and hooded, something about it pierced his soul. Painful memories filled his head, and he fell into a trance of a sort. For an hour exactly, he stared at it. It would have been longer, but food was brought to his cell. Pushed through a tiny flap, it looked as appetizing as mud did. Was it fit for human consumption at all? The water was brown, and had small particles floating about in it. Stricken by hunger, he ate it anyway, nearly retching. He could starve himself to death... that would end all the pain. It might make everyone happy, to know that he would be gone forever. It was his entire fault. His fault he trusted Peter, and that he listened to Lizzie about keeping silent. He had lost his friends forever. A sudden urge overcame him, and he threw the plate at the wall. To his displeasure, it didn't shatter; it was metal. It also looked as if it had never been washed. He was alone in his dark cell, no window, no light, except past the Dementors. All he could do now was sleep. Sleep away his pain... "Don't worry young lad!" Shouted a heavy voice from somewhere else in the prison. "The first day is always the worst!" He highly doubted that things would ever improve. But he mad a silent vow to himself that he was going to live. He was going to hope for a miracle: to get out. Then he would right all the wrongs that all led back to him, though he did not do them directly. He, Sirius Black would try as hard as he could to live. Sirius woke, to find himself exactly where he had been when he dozed off. Cate was still asleep, and breathing softly. She looked peaceful, not troubled. He dared not move and wake her. So he lay his head back on hers and pondered how he'd get her out of this mess... ~*~ Bellum ran his fingers through his hair, which felt rather disgusting. He didn't feel like it was all real, but once he touched himself, he was as solid as he had ever been. He could recall dying, and Cate's actions and expressions.... but he remembered very little after that. He didn't know how he got to where he was. But those were not the thoughts that tore at him the most. He was still in thought about his ghost situation. Staring out at the endless stars as if looking for help, he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. It had always been a nervous habit of his, and it reminded him of how Cate always smiled at him, and found a way to calm his nerves. But how would Cate react if he were a ghost? Bloodstained robes, his throat torn open... would she want him around her and the children? "You can't stay here forever." A soft female voice echoed, and Bellum jumped. He then turned to face Rowena Ravenclaw, who seemed so young and yet so wise. "I know you wish for advice on the affair, and your heart deeply yearns for your life back. But you can't remain here forever, Bellum Pugnare. I hate to push you in haste towards a decision, but it is necessary." "I understand." Bellum sighed. "No matter what I do, it'll break Cate's heart. If she sees me like a ghost, and like--- this... I don't know if I can do it. I'll forever be a ghost. Or if I don't, she'll never see me again..." Ravenclaw's hazel eyes were filled with sympathy for him. She took his hand, and squeezed it lightly. "Her heart is already broken." She whispered. "I feel deeply for Cate more than any other heir... and I believe that Gryffindor secretly does too." She smiled at him. "He spent so much of his time making sure this didn't happen to Meagan... that he let it happen to Cate. We only have so many eyes, and even less hearts here. But it couldn't be helped. Cate is much more like Gryffindor than she is like me... But I believe that she mirrors each of the Founders, even if she may be naught but Gryffindor's and mine heir." Bellum looked at her. She was much more wise than he was, though she seemed determined to make him understand. She squeezed his hand again. "But I also had another heir to watch, and sadly, my eyes were mot upon Cate. By the time we'd really started to notice her change, it was too late. But we had help with her. Do you know who helped? Who tamed her heart, and brought good virtues again to her mind?" This Bellum understood. It had all fallen into place, and he replied, "Me. I did." "Without you, no one would know what could have happened. My gathering though, is that it would have been evil. She fell madly in love with you. You touched her heart as no one else had. It's our fault. We kept no watch on her... she suffered all through her childhood. She felt forgotten, and indeed she was. We failed as Founders to forget her." Ravenclaw bit her lip again. "But times were hard, when she was born. James and Lily Potter had been killed, Sirius was behind bars, Peter had gone badly, and Meagan was angry. She didn't know what to do with herself once all her friends except Marykate and Lupin had disappeared. Her life was like Cate's, but not as extreme... nonetheless, we watched her. Like hawks. Trying to prevent her path to the dark side, which she very well could have gone down... we let our fear happen to Cate. Nothing could change her childhood. We made an error of immense greatness." Bellum nodded. Ravenclaw had more to say though, and she continued on. "Cate's life was a wreck, and it was just beginning to mend itself, and we all sighed a sigh of relief. Then she suddenly snapped. I should have taken note what happened when the Four Founders were united. We didn't get along well, except Gryffindor and I. Hufflepuff kept to herself, working brilliance in her own ways, while Slytherin fought many wars of words with Gryffindor. We had originally tried to keep ALL our heirs away from each other... no matter to which person. Cate and Meagan didn't click. So she snapped... Once again, it was a blunder on our part." "Cate looked for people to blame, right away. Her first thoughts were of Sirius, for not being there. Then she blamed her mother, for dying, Jacob James whom was not an innocent man though, and for the majority... Meagan. She blamed everyone... Everyone but us. We really are the only ones to blame. We had the power to stop it before it started, and we did not... "There are other things you do not know of Cate... She was sneaky, and had been acting on raw emotion. In her days as the Dark Angel of Light, she also took the blood of the Slytherin Heir, and the Hufflepuff heir, and added them in her own bloodstream. That alone though does not make her an heir to Slytherin and Hufflepuff... She only has the blood, as do you children, without their knowing. She also has the powers. The balance in her life is gone, and we're going to try our best to help her... But if we fail... she'll be unstoppable, once she realizes she has these powers. Then no one. I cannot stress the fact that no one at all can hinder her grip on the world... and on the Heavens. She'll rule over us. Even in death, those she hates will not escape her wrath." Ravenclaw looked desperately at Bellum. Again, he understood, but Ravenclaw felt further need to stress the fact that Cate needed him more. She waved a graceful hand and a crystal orb appeared. Bellum managed to bring himself to look inside. For the first time since his death, he beheld an image of Cate. She was sobbing in her bed again, and she was holding the knife. "I understand more than I ever wanted to." Bellum said. "So I've got to go back." "I thought you'd decide that." Ravenclaw sighed. "My speech was not wasted... You are the fifth person to ever know this. Just Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and myself are the other four that know. No one else knows, as far as we can tell... let it be a notion to you that you must do your part, which I believe could never be easier for Cate. All you have to do is love her... and be there for her. Gryffindor didn't want me to tell you this... he has pride, which is bruised greatly by our blunders. So please, tell no one of it. I beg this of thee, Bellum Pugnare." "You have no worries... I'll keep it secret." Bellum said. "But I suppose I have to see Gryffindor now, so he can properly show me how to be a ghost..." "I bid thee farewell, Bellum Pugnare, though something tells me I'll see you again. Good tidings I hope you bring to the world." Bellum tried to smile, but the muscles in his face wouldn't allow it. He looked down, and a thought came to him. "Excuse me, but I think that the mistake wasn't bad." He paused, and Rowena Ravenclaw looked him in the eyes, her own hazel eyes puzzled. "If nothing had ever happened, I never would have met Cate. And no matter what, you can't prevent everything. Sooner or later, you'd have a powerful heir. It's fate. You can't change it." Ravenclaw sighed. She pulled Bellum in and hugged him. "Well, Cate is lucky. She had you. Not everyone is blessed with one so great." She released him from her hug. "Gryffindor is waiting. He'll be here soon. I must go. Again, I bid thee farewell, my doubts are gone." Bellum looked at her, before she disappeared into the endless starry sky. She was tall and slim, with long light brown hair. Her hazel eyes looked upon him, and she nodded. Then she was gone. ~*~ Felicity looked to her left. Malicia had taken her to a dark passage deep in the underground of Hogwarts. She wondered even if the Black twins knew it existed. Blick was behind her, holding on tightly to her sleeve. He didn't trust the place. Malicia's wand was lit, but Felicity was looking about the barren walls of the passage. When Malicia stopped, she nearly bumped into the door in front of her. Blick stepped on her heels, and gasped. The door was of an intricate stone design, with Snakes concentrated around an image of Salazar Slytherin. Felicity thought of the Chamber of Secrets. But this couldn't have been it. From what she had heard, it was in a bathroom somewhere... "Ridalo Canthem." Malicia said softly, and the door opened, dust and dirt falling. It had been ages since it had opened, probably even centuries. "Come on Felicity, Blick. Follow me." Felicity and Blick followed her, down a passage so dark, not even Malicia's wand brought light to it. They were walking in the dark. But not for long, as Malicia came to a halt. She whispered something inaudible to Felicity and Blick, and a green mist engulfed them. Felicity swayed, as the mist circle her. But was it the mist that was circling, or she? She couldn't tell, but the dark passage was fading away, and a new scene was painting itself before her eyes. She was sitting in a green velvet chair, Blick and Malicia in identical ones next to her. Malicia spoke calmly to her. "My father will be here soon." Blick's eyebrows were raised, and he looked eagerly around the room. There were little statues, and books on shelves that looked interesting to him. He couldn't wait to look around this place, wherever it was. Felicity sat silently, something nagging at her thoughts, though she couldn't put a finger on what it was. Her thoughts were of her father, and how she missed him. She hated Ariana and her family, for what her mother had done. But the door swinging open, and Lord Voldemort entering interrupted her thoughts. His red snakelike eyes were upon her, and he walked slowly towards her. "Felicity Rose Pugnare." He hissed, his voice high and shrill. Felicity looked calmly at him, and nodded. "Yes, that's who I am." She said. "Adam Theodore Blick." Voldemort hissed, turning to Blick. "And that's me." Blick replied, just about as calm as Felicity. "Welcome, children... to my home. I believe Malicia has brought you for a reason." He looked at Felicity. "I know for what reason, young one." Felicity nodded, biting her lip. "I knew your mother well." Voldemort said suddenly to her. "I know." She replied. "Though I will be more loyal than she was. I'm not entirely like her." "I can tell, dear girl." Voldemort said, his lips curling into a thin smile. "Welcome Felicity Pugnare, and Adam Blick. It is a weekend. You will stay the night here." ~*~ Meagan stood outside the door to the Pugnare house, wondering if it was safe to go in. She had the small package Bellum gave to her, and she was going to give it to Cate. "Oh, please just let her be asleep or something." Meagan prayed, knocking on the door. A few seconds later, Sirius answered it. "Hello Meagan." he said, giving her an odd look. "What brings you here?" "I need to see Cate. I've got something for her." Sirius sighed. "She's quite silent today. Come on in." Meagan noticed that Sirius looked quite like he had been taking some emotional beating too. He looked older, despite the strange Black Curse. She followed him to the living room, where Cate was sitting in a chair, wrapped in blankets, staring at the wall. Sirius left the two alone. "I can't think of anything awful to say." Cate said quietly. "And I can't curse you, and I don't have any strength to throw anything." Meagan stared. "Hello Cate." She said, ignoring her comments. "I'll keep things short for you. I've got a package for you." Cate looked at her, narrowing her eyebrows. Meagan handed her the little package, and started to explain before Cate opened it. "It's from Bellum." She said. Cate's eyes flickered, and she looked at Meagan again, her eyes glinting gold. She looked ready to kill her. "Did you see him?" She demanded, suddenly looking murderous. "Yes. He told me to give you this." Meagan said, backing away slightly. "Gryffindor talked to me. Bellum asked me to give this to you." Cate still looked at her in an insane manner. "Did he say anything else?" She asked, fingering the package. "Just that he loves you. And he misses you. He wants you to take care of the baby." Cate was crying again. His last words to her echoed through her mind again, haunting her. Cate wiped the tears from her eyes, and said to Meagan, "Thank you." "No, don't thank me." Meagan sighed. "There's nothing much I can do." She bit her lip, and stepped forward, to pat Cate on the back. "But I wish there was." Cate didn't responded. She was staring at the package, debating on whether or not to pen it. Would its contents just make her cry harder, and miss Bellum more? She didn't see how it could comfort her any. For a few moments, Meagan sat in a chair near Cate, watching her sadly. Her heart was full of sympathy, and she wished dearly that she could do more. Finally, she felt it was time to leave. Sirius led her out the door, sighing when she hugged him, and told him she wished everything would be okay... "We can hope..." He thought to himself. "It's all we've got." ~*~ Bellum was alone in the endless starry sky for a few minutes. He didn't know if he was left alone to gather his thoughts, or if Gryffindor was still just coming. He wondered if Cate had opened her package. "Greetings, young man." said a deep voice from behind him, and he jumped slightly, and then turned to face Godric Gryffindor. "Well, I'm really not that young." He said, feeling like a fossil at the moment. "Well you haven't been around for over a thousand years, have you?" Gryffindor smiled. "I guess you've got a point there." Bellum shrugged. "You wanted to see me?" "Yes..." Gryffindor said, taking a seat in the middle of the air. Bellum did the same. "Before you become a ghost, there is more you should know." "More than what Ravenclaw told me?" "Indeed yes!" Gryffindor laughed, looking at his surprised expression. "But you've got that down very well, for one who isn't an heir at all... So you're going to be a ghost." "That's the plan." Bellum shrugged. Gryffindor reminded him slightly of Dumbledore. "Understand now that you will forever be a ghost. Until the end of time, unless something interferes, and changes this. You cannot eat or drink. You are also not going to be able to touch living beings. You will not be solid, and you will merely slide through a being. However, though I never understood this part much, you can pick up objects..." "Yes. I understand." Bellum nodded. If he didn't understand all the ghost business, he figured he'd pick it up later, as he was going to be a ghost forever. There was a moment of silence, and Bellum watched Gryffindor, who appeared to be deep in thought. Bellum wondered what he could be thinking about. There were too many possibilities... He could very well have been thinking about paper clips for all he knew. "Bellum, why did you never use your powers?" Gryffindor asked suddenly. Slightly taken aback, Bellum's eyes widened, and he replied, "I- I really don't know." He paused for a second to think, and then he remembered everything. Why he barely used his powers. "They controlled me. When I used them, there was an incredible feeling that made me want to use them more. I didn't want to become like- like... well, I didn't want to be the next Evil Overlord." "That was wise." Gryffindor nodded. "Very few people can surpass those small feelings. You never even spoke of them...." "Not even to Cate." Bellum finished. "I showed her a few. She like the rain." He remembered. "I made it rain for her. Then I felt the need to control the weather for a week before I finally stopped." "And?" "I destroyed that Orb." He sighed. "The power to destroy the indestructible. It just crumbled there in my hand. I didn't do anything after that... Cate knows I have that power." Bellum sighed. As long as he was telling Gryffindor things he already knew, he might as well continue on. "And I've used other ones on Cate." "For your daughter Paige." Gryffindor smiled. "Yeah..." "You can make people think what you want them to think. That's what you did to Cate for that situation. Made her believe it was a dream..." "Precisely. I felt bad for Paige. That little Potter girl is her best friend. I didn't want her to lose Nita. Not just because Cate's rival is Meagan." "And your other powers?" "No one knows." Bellum said, hanging his head. "Except me." "I do." Gryffindor smiled. "You would have made a very fine heir yourself. You have no desire for power. But keep in mind that your children have your powers too. They were passed on." "I know." Bellum said, looking up at Gryffindor. "Paige doesn't know it, but when she was little, about two, she changed into a dog and back. Scared the living hell out of me. I didn't know what to do about it. So I didn't tell Cate. Cate doesn't know either." "All your children have changed at one point or another. Even Jack. Soon Paige and Ethan will discover what they can do for themselves..." "Ethan's almost seventeen." Bellum sighed. "In a year. Then he'll have the powers I have, and the ones Cate has. It will be his choice to use them or not." "The power to shape-shift..." Gryffindor mused to himself. "It can be used for good, but even more for evil." He looked at Bellum. "Watch your children. They'll have power they don't know what to do with. But watch Jack and Paige. They'll both become great. We're already watching Felicity. She's troubled. She's got Cate's temper, and it's in action. But Jack and Paige will do great things. Remember that." "I will." Bellum said, wondering what Gryffindor meant by great. "But it's time for you to leave... Farewell!" Bellum found that he was changing. He felt lighter. His bones disappeared, and his skin was tingling. Soon he white. Ghostly white. And he was spinning in rapid circles, as if being sucked down a drain... ~*~ Cate tugged softly at the strings around the package. It was a small box, wrapped shabbily in brown paper, the strings being twine. It didn't weight much at all, and Cate wondered what was inside, though she wasn't quite brave enough to open it. She stared at it, while Sirius came in to take a look. "Catie?" He asked. "What've you got?" "Package." Cate replied slowly. Sirius said no more of it, but he watched her, his dark eyes wandering from Cate's tear-streaked face to the small brown paper wrapped package. Cate stood up suddenly, shaking off the blankets, revealing her black robes. Black was all she wore these days. Not that anyone could blame her, she was still mourning. "I'm going to open this with Bellum," said Cate sadly to Sirius. Sirius nodded. He knew where she was going... the cemetery. She visited often, crying over Bellum's grave. He hated to watch it, as it brang him to tears. He'd never had much of a chance to visit his friends' graves. Before Cate could disappear, He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead. Cate wiped her teary eyes and vanished. ~*~ "Paige?" Nita's voice echoed in the back of Paige's head. "Paige?" "Yeah, I'm still alive. Thanks for making sure." Paige responded, shaking her head. She was sitting alone in her room, looking at an old photo album. She would have laughed as she watched a picture of her father chasing her around with his shoe in hand, trying to get the other from her... but she didn't have enough energy to laugh, or even feel like it. "Paige, do you want to talk?" Nita's voice asked. "Well, I'm talking now, aren't I?" "I mean face-to-face." "I suppose. Now that my mum's such a mess she won't care..." "No, Paige!" came Nita's frustrated reply. "You're my best friend, and it's what best friends do. They help each other through hard times." Paige sighed. She appeared beside Nita in her room of the Potter house. "Now what?" She said, looking Nita in the eyes. "What is there to talk about?"   
  
Nita shook her head, and hugged Paige. "I wish everything were the same." She said, feeling her eyes well with tears in sympathy for her friend. Paige dropped her photo album, which she hadn't noticed had been with her the whole time. "What cha got there?" Nita asked as brightly as possible. "Oh, just a photo album." Paige shrugged. "Of my family. It starts with pictures of my mom and dad as kids in the beginning... and then towards the end there are pictures of me... and my other siblings." Nita forced a smile, and flipped the book to the beginning. On the cover was a family picture from last Christmas. It seemed that Cate had gotten everyone to get along for one nice portrait. Even Paige forced a smile as Jack gave Felicity's long dark brown hair a good tug. Felicity toppled over backwards, knocking over Ethan, who was smoothing out his hair. Paige in the picture merely laughed, and Jack looked delighted. "Those were the days..." Paige muttered. "I wish they still were." Nita added, flipping the page. The next few pages were a trip to Cate's past. Cate was just a cute little girl quite like Paige, shyly waving at a camera. It was taken in a school, probably in her first or second year. The only other childhood pictures of Cate were of her as a small baby... Bellum had a more plentiful supply of photos. Nita and Paige looked through them silently, not saying much. At last, when they were through with the whole album, Nita said to Paige, "I think you look like your dad. But you look like your mum did when she was little, if that makes any sense a all..." "Yeah... it sorta does." Paige shrugged. "Felicity looks more like my mum than I do though." "I think your mum is pretty. I'd be proud if I looked like her." Paige rolled her eyes. "Everyone says something like that." She smiled. "But I hate Felicity. She's trying to be my mum totally, if you get what I mean... But I don't see why she'd want that. There's nothing more that my mother regrets than her evil days..." "She doesn't seem so bad." Nita shrugged. "Sure, she's a little depressed, but she's had a hard life. My mother makes it sound like Cate is something from the Underworld... But they're just rivals." "Mine thinks like that too." Paige looked even sadder at this moment. "I wish they got along. I wish they were best friends! Then we'd get to see each other ALL the time... it would make my life easier... and if mum had a best friend, it'd make her life easier too..." "I know." Nita replied, flopping backwards on her bed. "But the world just doesn't work our way." The rest of their lives, Paige and Nita would remember that comment. The world never did seem to spin in their favor... It was as if it were trying to dump them off, as harshly as possible. "Well, I suppose I'd better go home." Paige said after a bit. She stood up. "Nita... thanks for being here for me. I feel a little better now that I've talked to you." "Hey, that's what best friends are for..." "See you later." With that, Paige disappeared. ~*~ Cate was on her knees on the ground in front of Bellum's grave. She traced over his name with her fingers. The letters glowed gold, then faded as her finger passed over them. The small package was on Cate's lap, and a bouquet of flowers lie off to the side. "Well... Here I am again." Cate sighed. "I miss you. So much! I can't do this, Bellum! I can't live without you. But I have to. I'd do anything to have you back." She picked up the package. "I wanted to open this with you. I was going to save it until tomorrow... your birthday. Hey, it was going to be your 35th birthday. And in a few months, our 17th Anniversary." Cate held back the tears. She wasn't going to cry here; not now! Bellum wouldn't have wanted her to waste her life away crying for him, like she was doing now. "So here goes. I'm opening your gift to me now." She tugged at the strings, and found that they came off rather easily. She carefully pulled the paper off, and opened the small box. Closing her eyes, she emptied the contents on her lap. "Come on, Cate!" She said to herself. "You can open them!" She took a deep breath, and opened her eyes quickly. On her lap lie a beautiful necklace fashioned of gold, and there was a heart around a pearl gem. When she touched it, it glimmered, and the pearl turned to a diamond. Also on her lap was a tiny rose, shrunken. It appeared to be bewitched, so it would never die. Cate loved roses, and they were a frequent gift from Bellum. Each anniversary, he got her one more than he had the year before. This year she would have gotten a bouquet of 17. Next her eyes fell on a tattered piece of red silk fabric. She didn't know the meaning of it, but when she touched it her heart ached. It was soft, and she brought it to her face. It smelled like Bellum. He had probably kept it with him for quite some time, and it had acquired his scent. There was a small silver box. When she opened it, soft music started, and there was a small moving picture dancing around the top of the box. It was their wedding picture. She still remembered that day as if it were yesterday. Her heart ached even more thinking of it, and the urge to cry became greater. A little pink rattle sat on her lap also. She gave it a shake, and pink sparkles, and a white mist swirled around where it had been shaken. It suddenly changed to a light blue, and when she shook it again, the sparkles were blue instead of pink. She watched it for a bit, and it changed a wide range of soft pastel colors. Last, there was a letter. In an envelope, her name was written in Bellum's slightly sloppy looped handwriting. This was perhaps, the dearest item to her right now. She opened this slowly, and pulled the parchment out of the envelope. It was even scented, like roses. She found out, that when she opened the letter itself, that this was because there were rose petals inside. "Dearest Cate," she read aloud, her voice choked and quiet. Dearest Cate, First of all, I love you. I love you and I miss you. I can't put into words just how much this is true. But you know that. It's been a few weeks since I last touched you, or even spoken to you. These have been the worst few weeks I've ever experienced. Though even though you are not here, I think of you every minute I can. I know you think of me often, and I'm sorry that it makes you suffer. But just remember that I love you, and that it's better I'm gone than you are. Nothing's really become of my death yet, except for the Four Founders talking amongst themselves within earshot of me... about what they should do with me. I can truly say this letter comes from the soul. That's all I am right now, my soul. Though I feel solid and all, there's something missing. You were a part of my soul, and now I'm not complete. I can't go on, my soul not being complete. So here I dwell in nowhere. Again, I find it hard to write how much I love you. I don't believe that there has been a word that can describe it yet. I miss your voice, your face, your body, mind, kiss, and everything about you. But I can't make this letter to long, going into detail... I'm supposed to be telling you what this package contained. You might have noticed the little rose. I couldn't get 17 of them in this box, Cate. It was part of your Anniversary gift. But this one little one will last forever. Much like the way I love you. I'm gone, but not my love for you. Another part of your Anniversary gift was the necklace. It belonged to my own mother, who I only knew for a while. This was the only thing of her I recovered when she was killed. I was just a small child. It's been special to me, and I wish for you to have it. The small silver box I had made for you on Earth. I wanted you to keep your wedding ring here when you weren't wearing it, but now that's buried. So put your old engagement ring in there. The piece of fabric probably has you confused. This was yours. I confess for stealing this from you the very night I met you. It was part of your dress, and I felt like keeping it. So I carefully tore it off while you were asleep. I made sure you never saw, but every single day, without fail, I tucked it into my pocket, and I touched it when I didn't have you. Of everything I gave to you, this gift means the most. It was like a part of me. The rattle. This gift isn't for you, unless you'd very much like a rattle. It's for our baby. I know she'll be a beautiful child. Have you thought more of her name? I've thought of it a little; I like the name Faye. Fiona is a good name too, in case you don't like Faye. When you have the baby, and I'm sure you'll take good care of yourself in the meantime to make sure she is born healthily, make sure she knows her father loves her. Tell her every day that I love her, and I love her mother too. Please, don't forget me. Tell Ethan, Felicity, Paige, and Jack that I love them. They're my children, and don't let them forget me either. I also send my thanks to your parents. Cate, listen to me. They love you too! Let them help you. The pain won't be as great if you accept that they love you. Always loving you, Bellum S. Pugnare, formerly the luckiest man alive Cate couldn't fight the tears any longer. They had won the battle over her along the first line in the first paragraph, and were rolling silently down her cheeks. She didn't wipe them off, but let them fall down her front. She kissed the headstone on Bellum's grave softly, and put the gifts back in the box. They were precious in every way to her. She'd keep them forever, and when she was gone, she'd leave them to her children. She looked up to the sky, to see that the sun was shining through the clouds. Her hair fanned back, but she didn't feel beautiful at all. All she felt was the pain, though it wasn't as great as it was. It was time for her to go home. With a small 'Pop!' she was gone... ~*~ She appeared in the kitchen, where Sirius and Lizzie were sitting with Brooke and Jack, for lunch. Paige and Bridgett were off in the dining room, eating silently. Cate took a piece of bread, and walked out of the kitchen, on the path to her bedroom. "You did it." She told herself. "You feel better now, Cate, though not much." She paused to pat her stomach, before taking a bite of the bread. "Well, Faye, your daddy loves you. And your mummy loves you too." She climbed the stairs without another word, or thought. It had been a while since she'd climbed them. It had been even longer since she went into her bedroom. She tried to go in at night, but usually couldn't bring herself to do it. Now that she had opened the package, she could open the door. With a click of a handle, she heard words... "I missed you." Her jaw dropped at what she saw. 


	23. Oh, What a Tangled Web we Weave

Chapter 23 Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave Dear journal, I can't begin to explain my feelings. Cate is going to need all the help she can possibly get. I think I no longer feel any hate towards her. She has lost some of the people she has loved dearly, as I have times and times over. I remember the time I lost James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter all at one time. It was a cold October night. The thirty-first, it was, when I saw the souls of Lily and James Potter torn from their bodies and thrown into that nowhere land where the Founders plot our lives. I remember running, screaming, lunging at Voldemort when he turned on Harry. I remember screaming, "Lily! Protect your son!" and shouting the spell that enabled Lily's soul to protect Harry for as long as she possibly could. I remember the hatred I felt for Peter. I remember the pity I felt for him. I wondered how he could just take Harry's parents away when they had befriended him. Tears had come to my eyes over the loss of my friends. I thought the Marauders would never reunite. I thought all was lost for Marykate and I, who were stuck at the age of sixteen. It was then I vowed to get Voldemort whatever the cause. I didn't care if I died. I wanted revenge. I also vowed to care for Harry. When Cate and Lizzie lost Sirius I tried, I really did. When you are sixteen you don't receive many privileges. I remember the pain I felt those days. I felt helpless. I felt like Harry and Cate would hate Sirius, Remus, and the others for not being there for him. I thought that he would be mad at me. When I died and found that I was an heir I realized how precious I was to others. I realized I had a reason to live, to love, to protect, and to care. I tried to stop Cate. I didn't mean to yell, but I had lost both my parents when I could've stopped it and was very rash towards everyone. Then Harry and I fell in love and got married. We had children who are now at ages twelve, eleven, ten, and nine, and one that isn't even born. Now I have everything I dreamed I had. I even have James, Sirius, and Lupin back. Now Cate has lost everyone and I realize that how she is now is how I had been when I lost all my loved ones. I no longer hate Cate anymore. On the contrary, I love her like one of my own. I'm afraid to show it, though. I hope that drastic of a change will not scar Cate anymore. I don't want her to think that I pity her, for I know she hates when people pity her. I know how she feels. I wish I could just tell her that. Now I sit here and write this journal entry. The only thing I can rely is this. I hope that one day, when I am dead and gone and that she is still living, Cate reads this. This is what I really feel. I wish I could just tell her that. Entry From: Meagan Cassandra Potter (formerly Meagan Cassandra Delmore), a.k.a. Blue Eyes ~*~ Godric Gryffindor looked down upon his created heir. She was hunched over a journal that contained memories of long ago in her life. Tears were slipping silently down her face. Her hair drew a curtain around her face. She was glowing softly and her eyes shown most brightly of all. They were deep, royal blue. She was singing softly to herself without knowing it. Godric kissed his fingers and blew it away. He saw his heir's hair blow back from her face as a breeze blew it back from her face. She looked up with her tear-stained face and whispered, "Thank you, Godric, thank you." Godric felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over his shoulder and saw Rowena Ravenclaw standing there. She was looking down at Meagan also. "She is beautiful." She said. "I know." Godric said. They both looked down at Meagan, who was still crying and seemed to be looking right at them. "She is a sweat and gentle person, down there, through all of her heart. She cares greatly for her friends and family. I think she is just like you. Not just in appearance, but in her soul." Rowena said, stroking Godric's hair. He nodded and didn't say anything, reflecting on Meagan's journal entry. "I love her. She is my child in reality. I love her a lot. She knows it, too." He said after a long while. Rowena nodded in reply, closing her eyes. "We all love her." Said a new voice. Godric and Rowena turned to see Helga Hufflepuff and her created heir Michael Shoemaker. "She was a great person. She still is. I love her like my sister." Michael said, his eyes misting over as he watched Meagan staring up at them, eyes navy blue with tears. "She was always there for me. When I needed someone to lean on, she let me with a glad heart," Michael continued, "She was always smiling like the sun. She was always laughing with one of the Marauders, Marykate, or I. She loved us like family. We love her back. She never wanted to see us hurt. She never does again. Her heart has been broken and repaired by Harry. If it's ever broken again she'll go nuts. I don't want that to happen. As I said, she's like family to me." His eyes were shining as he said this. He leaned his head on Helga's shoulder. "She deserves the love she receives from her friends. She has been faithful and loyal to them, laughed with them, cried with them, and walked with them along every step of the way. I almost wish she was my heir sometimes." Helga said, running her fingers through Michael's hair. "I think Helga is right." Said another new voice. Salazar Slytherin looked down at Meagan too. "I wish my heir was like her. Yet, with my bad reputation, he turned out wrong. I'm grateful to her for trying to stop him. I hope she does, eventually." "She will. I will make sure she will. She will protect her friends and family while she's at it. She would give up her life for them." Godric said. He closed his eyes. "In fact, I think she will. I was a Seer in my life, as she is now. The picture is very vague. When she dies, I will be there. You all will be too." Michael stepped away from Helga. His chest rose and fell, in a motion that made it look like he was breathing. "I'm ready." He said. Godric and the other Founders didn't need to ask what he meant. Godric put his hand on Michael's head. "I wish you luck." He said to the boy that was Hufflepuff's heir. Michael nodded. "Goodbye. I hope to see you again." Michael said, and was swallowed by darkness. ~*~ Crystal's eyes snapped open. She leapt out of bed, her heart racing. Blood pounded in her ears. "Brain. The MDMs. I need them. Quick!" She sprinted down the spiral staircase and up to the boys' dorms. She jumped on Brain and covered his mouth. 'Quick! Something's wrong! I feel it. It's in my bones. In my very veins it's now boiling! Get up! HURRY!' Crystal shouted in a mind-wave that extended over to Fred and George. They both jumped out of bed, feeling what Crystal was feeling. Fred broke out into a cold sweat. They ran without the protection of invisibility and fled through the dark school corridors, their wands lit. Their cloaks and hair (well, in Crystal's case) flew out behind them. They ran over to Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom. "That's a girls' bathroom!" Brain said, outraged, as Crystal dragged him in with her brute strength. She ran over to the sink her father had told her about so many times. "He's right! It is here!" she said breathlessly as she examined the snake etched into the faucet. "I can't open it!" Crystal shouted in panic. "Use your head Crys!" Fred said, exasperated, "You may not be able to talk to animals, but your dead was a Parselmouth! You have it in your blood!" Crystal, breath coming out in large gasps, uttered one word in Parseltongue: "Open." The sink did, as she had demanded of it. It glowed white and opened. Using all the courage she possessed, she jumped down it. Something evil was stirring deep below the school's foundation. "Are you INSANE!" she heard Brian yell as she slid down the pipe leading to the one and only Chamber of Secrets. There was a thud and a yell as Brian came zipping past her. She suspected that Fred or George had given him a push to get him started. They ran for what seemed miles when they landed. Then, they heard voices. "Nox!" The four children muttered hurriedly. Crystal cast invisibility over all of them when three small figures sauntered past. Crystal recognized their voices. She also recognized the marks on their arms: Dark Marks. ~*~ Harry walked into the room Meagan was in. His sparkling eyes traveled over the things in this room. Meagan never allowed her children into this room; for fear that they would discover that she was as old as their grandfather. The room's walls were covered in pictures from the years when Meagan was a Marauder. Trinkets from those years rested on shelves that never grew dusty from frequent touching and cleaning. Some of the things were the O.U.P., the Book of Everywhere she had gotten from Lupin in 7th year as a Christmas present, the sapphire, Quidditch trophies, and so on. Meagan and James visited this room a lot. Meagan lay asleep in a chair pushed up to a desk by the window. Her head lay on the desktop and her hair spilled out over the pages of the journal. Harry carefully removed the journal from her hair. He was about to close it when the names Lily, James, and Cate caught his eye. Before he could stop himself, he read the entire entry. The four pages that it filled were wet with what were undoubtedly tears. He flipped through the thick book whose pages were yellow with age and read more entries. Harry, being as quiet as he could, copied some of the entries word for word. He glanced over at Meagan now and then to see that she was still sleeping peacefully. He closed the journal, placed it back where he had found it, and turned back to Meagan. Carefully, he picked her up (which was no easy feat) and placed her back in bed. He kissed her lightly on her cool, moist lips. Taking the entries carefully, he tied them up and sent to the one person he thought could use seeing something like them: Cate Pugnare. ~*~ Cate open and closed her mouth, but not a sound came out. She plunked down on thin air and sat staring. "I missed you." Bellum said again. He reached out his hand and put it on Cate's shoulder. Cate shivered as she felt like she had been dunked in ice-cold water. Tears were racing quietly down Bellum's face. He couldn't find anything to say. It was then Paige came racing down the hall. She glanced at her father and mother and ran on. She looked back and didn't turn around this time, causing her to run straight into the wall. She slid down it, twitching. "No." Cate uttered finally, "You can't be a ghost." She seemed to be looking right through him now. Bellum looked down and saw that you could see through his body and decided that she was looking right through him. She backed into the walled and scrambled up to her feet. Bellum scratched the back of his head out of habit. He sighed and looked down to see he was hovering inches above the ground. Paige had sunk to the floor in dead faint. "I am, Catie darling, I am. Godric let me come. He let me come here so I could see my children and you. You most of all." Bellum said, stroking Cate's hair. Cate shuddered and rubbed her arms. "You always were so cold to the touch." She said softly, looking up at Bellum's gray and slightly transparent face. "I know, you were always so hot to touch." He said in reply, his sad eyes examining himself again. Sirius, who was hearing voices from upstairs, decided to go and check up on his daughter. With a forlorn sigh, he climbed the stairs to see his daughter and ghost of a son-in-law standing in the corridor, staring at each other. "Will the insanity ever end!?" he yelled, taking both of them by surprise. "No." said Bellum, shaking his head sadly. ~*~ Crystal floated on the stop, unable to move or even breathe. Brain gave a faint whimper as he looked at his niece's Dark Mark. Fred and George were gripping each other's arms, mouths wide open. 'We have to tell my dad!' Crystal said in mind-wave to her three friends. "Who was that?" hissed Felicity. Crystal almost groaned. She had forgotten that until her mind-waving strength increased, anyone with powers like hers or could read minds could hear her. It would have been better to have just whispered. "Potter." said Felicity, malice in her voice. Crystal grabbed Brain by the arm and fled out the opening through the sink. Fred and George came after her. They reappeared and ran as fast as their legs would carry them. A spell whizzed pass Crystal's ear. "RUN!" shrieked Brian. Something triggered in the back of Crystal's legs and she was off like a rocket. "Wait for me!" Brain said. Crystal slowed for long enough to pick Brain up (Brain didn't like this at all and yelled in frustration) and run again. Crystal ran past Fred and George, who stared until the same feeling triggered in their legs and they ran as fast as she. Soon, Felicity, Blick, and Malicia were no longer in sight. The four's wand light cast eerie shadows on wall and made the statues seem alive. Crystal slowed and dropped Brain. She leaned on the wall and panted. "I suppose I should be grateful for that." Brain said, gold flecks in his eyes glinting. Crystal shuddered involuntarily as spasms shook her body. She fell to her knees as fifth wand light fell over them. "Dad." Crystal gasped, "I need to see. Dad. Trouble! Dark Mark!" "Well, well, well," sneered a voice, "We are in trouble, now aren't we? It seems running around the school at night runs in the family." Snape leered down at them and laughed evilly. ~*~ Meagan woke with a start. She grabbed Harry's arm. Harry gave a yell and sat up to look at his wife. "What?" he asked urgently. She looked at him with her startling blue-green eyes. That was all he needed. "JO! JESS! NITA!" Harry shouted, running in and out of the room packing. Three groggy children entered the room, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. "What is it?" Jo asked, yawning. "We need to get to the hospital!" Harry said, waving his wand at his children and getting them into their clothes. "Now?" Nita asked, suddenly wide-awake. "Yes. We have to get going!" Harry said. He scribbled a hasty note and sent it over to Hogwarts asking for Crystal and Neil. Dear kids, We are at the hospital. Come immediately. Love, Dad While Harry was tying it to Hedwig's leg, Meagan clicked her fingers. "Don't. bother." She gasped. Harry helped her out of bed and with a pop they were all gone. ~*~ Neil was running. He was screaming and running from an unseen force that was hunting him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the black hulk catching up with him. He ran. The black hulk ran faster. It leaped. Neil lunged. He slid across the ground and ripped his robes. The Gryffindor emblem was gleaming. Neil crab walked backward and dragged his body as fast as he could, but the black thing was on its feet and could go faster. It lunged and this time its aim was true. It was on top of him and all Neil could see was its gleaming white teeth. With its paw the thing lifted its paw, extended its claws, and hit Neil in the back of the head. The pain was excruciating. He yelled and struggled and fought but it was all over him now. No matter where he felt he felt the beast on him. It felt like velvet. At least I'll die comfy. he thought. His eyes suddenly flew open. He was staring up at the canvas of his bed curtains. A thin line of moonlight fell across his face. He pulled an arm out of the bed sheets and pushed his glasses on. He looked down. He was wrapped tightly in his velvet bed sheets. He untangled himself from the sheets and sat up. His head still hurt. He rubbed the back of his head. The pain was real. He looked down on his pillow and saw a hastily written letter. He read it. It was from his father. Apparently, they were at the hospital. He jumped out of bed and ran to get Crystal. 'Crys!' he yelled in mind-wave. 'In Snape's office.' Crystal said. She sounded scared. That made Neil more urgent. He appeared in Snape's office. Snape jumped, taken aback by Neil's sudden appearance. "Crys! Mom and Dad are at the hospital! We have to go!" He said, extremely frightened. He showed his sister the letter. Her jaw dropped open. "Please!" she implored to Snape, "Please let us go! I beseech thee!" "Let me see that letter." Snape said, yanking the letter out of Neil's white and shaking hands. Before Snape could even say no, Crystal and Neil were gone. They had appeared at the hospital in their nightclothes. They spotted their siblings, who were waiting eagerly. Crystal ran over to them and collapsed. "What happened?" she begged impatiently. Jo's purple eyes swiveled in her eldest sister's direction. "Mom's having the baby!" said Nita excitedly. "WHAT?" Crystal and Neil shouted at the same time. "The baby!" said Jess, bouncing in her seat. Neil sat down quickly. Crystal sat down beside him. There was a scream from the next room over, and the doors swung open as a pair of operating scissors flew out directly at Neil's forehead. Crystal screamed, not wanting to see her brother murdered on the spot. Neil fixed his eyes on the scissors and they slowed and stopped two inches from Neil's forehead. They started to shake and flew off to the right and into the wall. Crystal breathed again. "Nice job." She said, giving Neil a high five. "Thanks." He said. "It's a girl!" Harry yelled, running into the waiting room. Crystal, Jo, Jess, and Nita all squealed in excitement. Neil sighed, crestfallen because he was still the only boy in his family. Harry went back into the room and came out again after a few minutes. "Twins!" he shouted. "Two girls!" Jo and Jess looked at each other and grinned widely. Harry ran back in, Jo and Jess grinning from ear-to-ear. Harry ran out again, this time he looked tired. "Triplets!" he said, falling into a chair, "All girls!" No one said anything. Harry wearily got up and walked back into the room. He stuck his head out of the door and said, "You can see them now." The five quivering children walked into the delivery room. Meagan sat in one of the beds, two babies in her arms and drenched in sweat. Harry held the third and he was rocking her to sleep. "Angelina, Abigail, and Ashleigh." Meagan said, her finger being held by one of the baby girls. "They're so cute." Crystal said, her eyes gleaming pale yellow in awe. The nurse came in and looked at the five gawking children. "Good luck. You're gonna need it." She said to Harry and Meagan. Meagan nodded, finding nothing to say. The doors swung open and expelled a bedraggled James Potter. "Why didn't you wake me up? I want to see my new grandchildren!" he said, giving Meagan the evil eye. "Twins?" he asked suddenly, spotting the two baby girls in her arms. "No." said Harry, sitting down. "Triplets?" James asked, his eyes widening. Meagan nodded, looking extremely tired. Crystal and the other children didn't see what was so horrible about it. But that was because they had forgotten what it's like to have a baby in the family. ~*~ Crystal and Neil returned to Hogwarts, exhausted from lack of sleep. "The whole House has been looking for you all night!" Fred yelled when Crystal came back. She sunk into a big fluffy chair and sighed. "Triplets." She muttered under her breath. "What?" asked George. Crystal opened her eyes. "My mom had triplets." She said. "WHAT?" shouted Brian, Fred, and George at the same time. "That was my reaction." Crystal said, looking at her friends wearily. "What are they: girls or boys?" Brain asked, memories of that night forgotten. "Girls. Their names are Angelina, Abigail, and Ashleigh." "There is the culprit!" Brynn said, pointing at Crystal. It took two hours to explain where she had been. Finally, when the entire confused din was over, Crystal fell into a deep, well-deserved slumber. ~*~ "This is the time for a celebration! How about. in two days!" Meagan said cheerfully two days later. Harry looked at her wearily. "Party? The kids aren't even home." He said. "Tomorrow they will be. If you are forgetting, Christmas vacation starts today." Harry scratched his head. "Oh." Meagan quickly wrote up invitations to her friends and family. She sent them out. "C'mon. We have to go pick up the kids." She put the triplets in their elongated carriage and prepared to leave. "Jo! Jess! Nita! Come on! We're going to pick Crystal and Neil up!" Tired and groggy from being awakened by their new family addition, the twins and Nita dragged themselves down the stairs. "Do we-!" Jo started, "Have to?" finished Jess. "Yes." Said Meagan sternly. In a few seconds, the whole Potter family (with an exception to James) was at Platform 9 ¾. Brynn and Bryce were the first ones off the train, probably because they jumped off while it was still moving. They met Sirius, Lizzie, Meagan, Harry, and the kids who were all in a huddled group. Sirius had filled Meagan in on Bellum's return and Cate's reaction. "Oh! Oh, oh, oh, ohohoh!" squealed Brynn, catching sight of the triplets. "You can hold one, if you want." Meagan volunteered. Brynn swooped down and picked up Abigail. "She's so darling!" she squealed. Bryce looked disgusted at his sister's reaction to the sight of the Potter triplets. Angelina started to cry. Meagan picked her up. Ashleigh started to fuss, causing Harry to sigh and pick her up. Crystal and Neil came running. Crystal bounced up and down excitedly. "Come, come, it's time to go home. We have to get ready!" Meagan said, winking at Harry. "Don't forget, tonight it's your turn to hold the triplets when they wake up at one a.m." Harry said. ~*~ Two days later: Ding-dong! Meagan snapped into consciousness. Thinking she had imagined the doorbell ringing, she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Ding-dong! With a groan, she pushed herself out of bed. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and groggily walked down the stairs. She pulled her shimmering bathrobe on and tried to tie it as she made her way to the door. Snapping her fingers, she made her hair neat again. Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong! The doorbell chimed in her ears. "I'm coming! I'm coming all ready!" Meagan said grumpily. Yawning, she pulled the door open. She groaned. "Hello Mark." She said, staring at Mark, his wife Kristina, and his children. "Do you have any idea what the time is?" Mark looked at his watch. "According to this, 3 P.M." He said. "It's 5 A.M.!" She said, pulling her brother inside. A baby's cry sounded from upstairs. Harry, his mouth wide open in a yawn, ambled down the stairs with Angelina and Abigail in his arms. "Harry, we have company." Meagan said. "What?" Harry asked. "You had more kids?" Mark said. Meagan nodded, another cry sounding from upstairs. "I don't have anymore arms." Said Harry, sitting on the couch. Meagan went upstairs and came down with Ashleigh. "Triplets?" asked Kristina, looking at her own three triplets. Meagan nodded wearily. "Good luck." Said Mark. "I'm getting a lot of that." Meagan said, eyeing her little brother. "Mom! Who," Jess started, walking down the stairs, "Is it?" finished Jo, following her. "Your Uncle Mark, Aunt Kristina, and cousins." Meagan said. Harry was starting to nod off. She poked him in the side and he gave a startled jump. "What was that for?" he demanded. "You were falling asleep." Meagan said simply. One by one, each of the Potter children traipsed downstairs, startled to have guests this early. "I don't even get up this early at Hogwarts!" Crystal complained, sitting down huffily. "I did." Meagan said, smiling and a dreamy look flitting across her face. "Wonderful place, Hogwarts." "There's a full moon outside," said a voice, drifting down the stairs. Meagan looked over and saw James. He was smiling dreamily. "Yeah, and only God knows where Moony is." She said, grinning. "What's the big deal about a full moon?" inquired Mark. "The werewolves are out tonight." Meagan said. Mark snorted. "Yeah right." He said, disbelieving. "It's true. When I used the Time Turner, Hermione and I almost got bitten." Harry said. A scratching sound came at the door. "Maybe that's Remus. maybe he took the Wolfsbane potion." Meagan said, rising and walking to the door. "Moony, that you?" she asked when she pulled the door open. A wolf stood in the door, panting, its tongue lolling out. The wolf nodded its head energetically. Meagan smiled wryly. Werewolves couldn't talk in animal or human tongue when in transformation. For that, she pitied him. "Come, come, my little brother is in, you can come too." Meagan said, standing aside for the werewolf to enter. Lupin strolled on in. Meagan led the way down the corridor and Lupin warily followed, glancing at the windows now and then. "We have another guest." She said as she entered the living room. "Ya-hah-ha!" Crystal yelled, spotting Lupin. Lupin looked hurt. "Now that's not polite, Crystal, that's my friend Remus Lupin! Now, apologize! Besides, the sun's almost up. He'll be returning to his real form shortly." Meagan said, scolding her oldest child. Mark didn't seem to be able to take it all in. His oldest sister was scolding her child for yelling because she saw a wolf. "Sorry, Mr. Lupin." Grumbled Crystal. The Delmore triplets were staring and Mary tried to look as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Suddenly, the moon went down. Lupin gave a howl and fell in a crumpled heap on the ground. Mark and his family stared, transfixed. Lupin went ridged and began to shake. His muzzle started to incline towards his face and was suddenly sucked in with a slurping sound. He gave a pitiful whimper. "Oh, Moony, you should be used to it by now." Meagan said, shaking her head as Lupin's fur started to disappear. The ones watching could hear the crunching of bone as his joints reversed direction. The amber eyes with large pupils began to shrink and change to the color of brown. The fur that still remained on his head became fine and not course and was speckled with the remaining brown hair. His teeth shrunk and became flat, except for his eyeteeth, which remained wolf teeth, which was one of the signs of being a werewolf. His nose melted and became flesh colored once more. His tail suddenly disappeared and his legs became longer. The three toes on his paws elongated and multiplied, becoming fingers and toes. The claws became soft and became fingernails. He moaned softly as his throat and voice box contorted and made him capable of human speech. His lungs, stomach, and other organs squished and stretched and shrunk to form human organs. When he was finished, he lies in a crumpled heap in his robes on the floor and breathed deeply. "No one can ever get used to werewolf transformations." Lupin croaked after a few minutes in the astonished silence. Meagan helped him to his feet. "Well, how should I know, Moony? I have never undergone a werewolf transformation." She said, grinning. "True." He said, nodding. "Wow." Mark breathed. ~*~ The time for the party finally arrived. Wizards and Muggles of all kinds arrived there. Meagan was glad at the turnout. She beamed every time someone congratulated her. When she thought the last guest had arrived, the doorbell rang. She ran and opened the door. Her jaw dropped open. She shut it as quickly as she could. "'Allo, Meagan." Colin Creevey said, the camera around his neck swinging. Ginny was with him. "Harry!" Meagan called. Harry came running, spotted Colin and Ginny, and almost swore. "Hello Colin, Ginny." Harry said wearily. "I'm Mrs. Creevey now." Said Ginny, beaming. Meagan and Harry looked at each other. "This is our son, Harry. Harry Creevey. Harry in your honor, Harry." Colin said, patting a boy with ginger hair on the shoulder. Harry (C) had a camera dangling around his neck like his father. He was a scrawny boy, not unlike Colin when he was young. His face was dappled with freckles, one of the Weasley trademarks. His brown eyes sparkled with excitement. Harry rubbed the back of his head. "C'mon in?" Meagan volunteered. "Okay!" Ginny said brightly and entered. Colin immediately started to take pictures. "Here we go!" Meagan muttered to herself, and dived into the party. 


	24. Holes in Her Soul

Chapter 24 Holes in Her Soul Bellum closed his eyes. Everything went black as it should, but his mind still held the image of Cate he had just beheld. She was still looking at him funny, and it was something he couldn't shake off. She'd never given him a look like that before; not even when she was angry. He opened his eyes again, looking then to Sirius and Paige. Paige was still unconscious on the floor, and Sirius looked plainly bewildered by everything. But his gaze fell again upon Cate, whose dark brown eyes were now fixed upon him. "At least say something, Cate." He sighed. Cate's eyes were filled with a puzzled, and looked worried. She struggled for words, and managed to say, "I don't know what to say." Then, pushing her hair from her face, she reached her hand out, as if to touch him, but her hand went straight through Bellum, and the bone chilling "Well, it was something, at least." Sirius said, rather dumbly. He looked at Bellum with a look that said, "Give her time." Paige was stirring, and caught Sirius's attention when she moaned, rubbing her head. She had bumped it on her fall. Another look to her ghostly father made her feel as if she were in a dream-- no, a nightmare. He looked so unreal. There was no color in his skin, his eyes were sad, and there was no smile on his face. "Daddy?" She squeaked, and Cate looked back at her. Bellum nodded. "Yeah, Paigie honey." He said, trying to smile at his youngest daughter. Paige looked back at him, trying to speak, despite the lump in her throat. "I'm glad you're back." She said softly. Looking at her mother, father, and grandfather, she left the room, feeling that they'd all rather talk these matters out themselves. Sirius cast her a sideways glance, and decided to follow her example. Cate and Bellum were left alone. For a few minutes, they watched each other. Neither moved much, but Cate shifted her weight from hip to hip often. She wasn't going to break the silence. So finally, Bellum did. "I still love you, Cate." He said softly. Cate's deep brown eyes filled with tears, and she looked into his empty eyes, and replied. "Then why'd you die? Why'd you leave me alone?" "Cate..." Bellum sighed. "If I could stop dying, believe me... I would. If anyone could help dying, we'd all be alive. No matter how much someone loves them." Cate put her face in her hands, and wept. Bellum put a hand on her shoulder, and she shuddered. He wished his touch didn't have that ghostly feeling. But he wasn't alive. What else could he expect? He was beginning to have second thoughts on becoming a ghost... Would he just spend his time floating around, haunting people? That was a typical ghost story. Or he could go to Hogwarts, if Cate couldn't accept him the way he was now. Nearly Headless Nick could use some company. "I'm sorry, Bellum." Cate said, after about five minutes of crying. "This was just a shock to me. I don't know what came over me." She closed her eyes. "Maybe it's the hormones running through my body now. You know I can't handle stress when I'm pregnant. I really am glad to see you." She forced a small smile. Bellum's heart leaped. But it soon landed... right back in his own throat, when he thought for a bit. She was just making excuses. What sort of woman would want a ghost for a husband? She couldn't touch him, and she had no one to hold her when she was sad. His thoughts must have shown by his expression, because Cate spoke to him again. It was music to his ears, and her voce was soft and soothing. "I love you." She said. "I love you more than anyone! It doesn't matter if you're dead, alive, ghost, or human. I still love you." He was crying now too. There was a pain in his heart for Cate. He wished he were solid! He wished again that he could touch her. She was so beautiful. The candles created a glow in the room, and her dark brown hair was shining. Her skin was glowing, and the light seemed to be coming from her. But her eyes were sad. When he had looked into her eyes before they had shined when he looked into them, as if they were reflecting his love for her. "Christmas vacation is coming soon. Ethan and Felicity will be home." Cate said. "We'll wait until then before pulling them out of school." Bellum nodded. They were going to come home to a bit of a shock... Not what they'd expect for Christmas. "Merry Christmas!" He thought. "Your dad's a ghost!" ~*~ Felicity plucked at her robes. She was on the train to go home for the Holidays, seated next to Blick and Malicia. Ariana Malfoy was on the other side of the train, for all she knew and cared. Since her father's murder, she hadn't said much to Ariana. "Another Holiday in the Blick household." Blick sighed. "My family has ALL the relatives. My cheeks will be squeezed by Granny, and she'll proclaim out loud how much her little Adam has grown." "We don't do much." Malicia said simply. Felicity didn't feel like asking why. "I don't know what it'll be like at my house this year." She said. Christmas had always been a happy time at her house, even for her. It was hard to be unhappy when there were piles of gifts, and smiling faces. "Since my dad's gone and all..." Malicia looked at her. Her eerie green eyes with reddish flecks seemed to be burning into her mind, so she could see what she was thinking. "We're your family now, Felicity." She said. "My father is your father. We're Death Eaters now... or in the process of becoming them. All we have is each other. Not even your mother can accept this, Lissy." Felicity sighed. She was right. Her mother was a different person now. Different than she was before she had any children. But she, Felicity Rose Pugnare was going to follow her footsteps, and she wasn't going to make the same mistakes. She was going to be powerful. People would fear her. ~*~ Brynn Black sighed. Chaos surrounded her. This could be only because she was sitting between Bryce and Mac. Ethan had been rather quiet lately, not that she blamed him. "C'mon boys... there's trouble that needs to be caused, and people that need to be bothered!" She said brightly, pulling the three boys off to another compartment to cause trouble. This led to her contest with Bryce to see who would be first off the train. Both jumped off while it was still moving. ~*~ Cate sighed, opening the door to her bedroom. Ethan and Felicity had come home, and she left everyone downstairs to talk to Bellum. She didn't feel as if they needed her at the moment. This should be Bellum's time with all 4 of the kids. Ethan and Felicity had reacted quite well to his return as a ghost. They were mature enough to understand, much better than Paige had. Ethan even smiled. Felicity had looked slightly stunned, but her eyes lit up. Cate groaned, as she flung herself on the bed. "Three more months of this..." She grumbled, patting her stomach. Making a face, she thought of Meagan. It wasn't fair that Meagan didn't have to put up with being pregnant as long as she did! But then again, nothing in Cate's life was fair. By now, she should have been used to it. She closed her eyes and sighed, smoothing out her hair. She opened her eyes, and looked around the room. The red velvet bed curtains were open, and she reached out to touch them. So soft, and real. It gave her proof that it still wasn't a whole big nightmare. Sitting up (with difficulty) she looked out the window. There was snow on the ground, and it all seemed so peaceful. That was all she wanted... a peaceful life. Maybe is she moved to Antarctica, it would be peaceful? Who would journey there to bother her? She still stared at the snow. It reminded her of when she met Bellum. There was snow, and it was chilly. But inside the castle, it was warm... and he had been warm and comforting; like a warm fire. She was going off again into a daydream. But something broke into her daydream, as soon as it started. Literally, it broke into her daydream. An owl had smashed the window, and Cate had jumped back in surprise. A rather weathered and old looking snowy owl found it's way to her, and she untied the letter that was attached to its leg. "Poor thing... I think it's practically blind." She muttered. Searching around for a treat, and eventually finding one in the drawer of her night table, it took off immediately, as if it were afraid of her. "I hope this isn't a sad letter, like the last one I received." Opening the envelope and pulling out the letter, she unfolded the parchment, and read the first sheet aloud, to no one but herself. Cate, I realize this is an out of the ordinary event from you, receiving a letter from the Potter Household, but please, do read it before you toss it out, or do whatever you see fit with it. I copied these passages from Meagan's journal. I think they concern you directly, and they may change your view of her slightly. I hope this resolves any of the fighting. --Harry Potter. P. S. You have probably heard about the party celebrating the birth of our triplets. You're welcome to bring your family to the party. Cate raised her eyebrows. Why would Meagan write about her? Why would Harry bother to send it to her? Maybe it was a trick. A trick to keep her occupied in her own thoughts, or something. She tossed the letter aside, deciding she wasn't going to read it. But her curiosity got the better of her. After a few minutes, she brandished the second page, and read it silently. Cate felt as if a wave of emotions was trying to drown her. What did this all mean? The excerpts that were copied were so strange. What was the point that was trying to be made? After thinking about the letter, and Meagan's feelings, Cate was still debating with herself over the point. Scanning Harry's note again, she saw again that it was from her journal. This wasn't written to her at the moment. In the excerpts though, it said Meagan wanted her to see it, after she was dead. Why not now? "She pities me." Cate said to herself. "That's all. Pity is a powerful emotion. But is it really me she pities? Me, or my parents? She was close to them. I suppose I ruined their lives. All this time, I've just been in her way. Constantly competing against her, and winning. I bet she wanted me gone. Now... Now that Bellum died, her perspective changes. She feels sorry for me. I don't need pity! That's all I get! Poor Cate! Such a problem, little child! Now she's lost her husband. She's virtually insane. Poor Cate!" Cate took a deep breath. She suddenly hated all those people that pitied her. The people that sent sympathy cards. The people who tried to help her. They really didn't love her... they pitied her. That was all. What was she to them? What were they to her, rather? She'd show them that she didn't need their pity. Make them see she wasn't a helpless woman. Then they would hate ones being pitied. And she would pity them. She would pity them for thinking such things. She was going to the Potter Party. ~*~ A rather surprised Pugnare family was all dressed up, with the exception of Bellum. He was going, but would remain invisible the entire night. He didn't want Cate to lose her cool, which he expected she would. She always did when she was exposed to the Potters... Felicity fidgeted with her dress. It looked like something Cate would have worn when she was the Dark Angel of Light. It was showy, and flattering to her figure and it was of course, red. Paige gave her older sister a funny look. Felicity was only 12. There was no need for such an outfit at her age. Paige liked her dress. It wasn't tight, but it fit her well. She liked the red color of it, and the flutter sleeves. Her mother had put her hair up, and she felt very pretty, which her father assured her she was, with a smile. "I can't believe you made me wear a suit!" Ethan grumbled to Cate. "It's only a party. Dress robes would have suited me fine. But honestly..." "Dress robes are no longer fashionable attire for formal occasions." Cate snapped. "Ask your father." Bellum shrugged, sighing. Ethan rolled his eyes, and fooled with the cuffs on his suit. Jack giggled, as if this were something fun. Cate had dressed him up too. He was adorable in a miniature suit of his own; baby sized. His brown eyes sparkled, and Cate smoothed his tufts of dark brown hair down. This was the first time Cate had actually dressed herself up since Bellum's death. She looked much more like herself now, in a sleek silken dress, trimmed with gold. It seemed to sparkle with a golden light, and added to her glow. She had her hair braided intricately, and tied up at the back of her head. Her skin was glowing softly, and her eyes glinted gold. "You look beautiful." Bellum grinned. "I wish I was standing by your side, in flesh and blood, so I could properly escort you to the Potter residence." "I wish so too." Cate sighed; her eyes dimming back to their regular brown color. She looked down at herself, and glared at her growing stomach, which was preventing her from showing of her body. "So um, who's driving?" Ethan asked, after a few minutes of standing. "You." Cate groaned, tossing him the keys to the limousine. With an excited look, and his mood about the suit suddenly changing, he caught the keys, and practically sprinted to the limo, and thrust himself in the driver's seat. "Mind you, remember your mother's pregnant!" Bellum cautioned, disappearing. He was still there, but had a plan to remain invisible the whole night. "We're going to die." Felicity sneered. "Ethan's too dumb to even get us out of the driveway." Paige decided she was going to stay as far away from Felicity as she possibly could. Ever since Christmas, when Felicity had tied her to the tree, and pushed it over, her hatred for her older sister multiplied. "Well," She thought, as they pulled out of the driveway, after Ethan slammed on the brakes a few times. "It wasn't a totally bad Christmas." She had gotten an assortment of neat gifts, though it was nothing like it had been in the past. Hooking her seat belt, for fear of being thrown through the window, she replayed the events in her mind... ~*~ "Merry Christmas, Paige!" Bellum said, as cheerfully as possible. Cate was sitting on the couch, staring at the giant tree. "You've got gifts to open!" There was a large pile for her under the tree, and it was the only pile left. Everyone had gotten out of bed before she had.... as usual. Even Jack was sharing the joy, trying to open his own gifts. Soon she was waist high in interesting gifts, which she had plans for. Little did she know that in her own room, she had a gift from Nita. She liked that gift most of all. It was a charm bracelet, with a few charms on it. The charms on it were a small wand that emitted gold sparks, a small Golden Snitch that rotated around a broom, a pointed hat, a spell book, a shaggy dog, and one that said 'Friends.' Paige assumed that Nita had kept the charm that had said 'Best.' All of the charms, of course, moved. She tucked this gift deep in the back of her closet, in an old jewelry box, and looked at it every moment she got. This only made her wish more than her mother was friends with Meagan... Later that evening, Felicity had taken her captive, and magically bound her to the Christmas tree, and pushed it over. The candles that were illuminating it caught fire, and much to her dismay, she couldn't scream because of the cloth stuffed in her mouth, and the piece that was tied across her face. But lucky enough for her, the tree falling made noise. Felicity forgot to silence it. Cate had stormed downstairs, in a rage. She shouted something at Felicity, who had been laughing, and put the fire out. Then she saw Paige was tied to the tree. After Cate snapped, her fingers, and Paige sprung free, Felicity disappeared on the spot. Cate narrowed her eyebrows, and muttered something inaudible to Paige. Felicity appeared again, as if against her will, and Cate pulled her off by the ear, to discuss her punishment with Bellum. ~*~ "Yeah... Being nearly killed was worth it, to see mum harass her like that. I wonder what her punishment is..." Paige thought, as Ethan managed to pull the limo into a remote parking spot near the Potter house. "I hope she hates it." She opened the door to the limo herself and got out, stumbling. Heeled shoes just didn't suit her well. Felicity came out behind her, and Cate gracefully followed, carrying Jack. Ethan popped out the driver's side, looking quite pleased with himself. "How'd I do?" He asked, a little too happily. "Well, I'm still alive." Paige replied. "You passed." She giggled, and soon found herself facing the front door to the Potter house. She was going to open the door, as she had several times before, and run inside, but Cate tugged the back of her dress and stopped her. "Oh great..." Paige thought. "We're going to make an entrance. I bet everyone else is inside, and we're going to walk right through the doors and they're all gonna stare!" She shuffled behind Ethan, and felt a cold chill run through her body. "Sorry, Paige." Bellum muttered. Then she realized that she had backed into him. "It's okay." She smiled. "I wish I could be invisible." "No you don't." Bellum sighed, and at that moment, Cate opened the door. The door crashed against the wall, and the moonlight from outside illuminated the Pugnares, creating a rather frightening appearance. The guests all stared at this sudden appearance, and even more at Cate. Cate hadn't been seen in public since... Bellum's death. The crowds parted as Cate walked down the center of the room, her family following, Paige now holding Jack, and ducking behind Ethan. She didn't want to be here, really. She was really hoping that Nita would be around somewhere, as well as Bridgett, Dominic, and Max. She gasped, as a pair of hands reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into the massive crowd. "Let go of me!" She said firmly, holding tighter to Jack. A hand covered her mouth, and she tried to bite it, but failed. No one seemed to be noticing her plight, as they were all too busy staring at the rest of her family. Finally, after a bit more of a struggle, she was facing Nita and Bridgett, in an empty hallway. "Good Lord, Paige!" Bridgett exclaimed. "It took the both of us to capture you!" Paige laughed, shifting Jack to her other side, resting him on her hip. "Sorry... All you had to do was say it was you!" "She tried to bite me!" Nita squeaked. "Now my hand's a slobbery mess!" Paige laughed again. Bridgett put on a serious face, and said, "Good thing she didn't get her teeth in your hand... she might have rabies! Look at that rabid face. Yeah... I think she's diseased." "So how does it feel to be an older sister now, Nita?" Paige asked cheerfully. Nita rolled her eyes, and made a rather irritated sound. She was dressed in a light blue dress, which seemed to have been thrown up on by one of the triplets earlier in the evening. "That's all I've been asked all evening." Nita sighed. "But, it's not all that. All the babies to is cry, eat, poop, and... Throw up." She gave a disgusted look to her shoulder, and wrinkled her nose. "Welcome to older sister world." Paige smiled. Jack grabbed hold of her hair and gave it a tug. "Ouch! Well, just wait until they get to this age. He knows when he's being naughty. And he LIKES it... Poor Padfoot... That old dog has undergone so much torture..." "Hmm..." Bridgett shrugged. "Must be a baby thing. Brooke does the same thing. Hey, Nita... Where do you think Max and Dom went? They were going to the bathroom, then we kidnapped Paige." "Err..." Nita wrinkled her brow. "They'll find us." "They can find us... by the triplets! I haven't seen them yet!" Paige said, bouncing Jack around in the process of her squealing and jumping up and down. "All right..." Nita sighed. "This way..." ~*~ Cate wrinkled her nose, facing Meagan's brother Mark. Her muggle brother... He looked at her in fright, squirming. He saw her eyes lighting up, and she took a step closer to him. "Please don't hurt me!" He said, very fast. "A muggle..." Cate sneered. "And this poor Muggle is related to Meagan Potter. How I do pity you." Cate was making it her new point to let people know she pitied them. "Don't hurt me!" Mark squeaked again, taking a step backwards, into his wife. He had seen Cate before, but then she looked less... pregnant. It had been years and years before, and now that he was face to face with her, she was even more attractive... and frightening. Her eyes were glinting, and her smirk was sinister looking. "Stupid Muggle." She hissed, leaning closer to him. His blue eyes were wide, and full of fear. He'd never really said anything at all the Magical people, and they hadn't said much to him. Truthfully, they all scared him, and Cate was the most frightening looking at all. Her face was very close to his now, and he could see the details of all her makeup, and just how straight and white her teeth were. Clenching his teeth, and squaring his shoulders, he expected her to whisper some sort of curse, or something to kill him. Now she turned, and whispered in his ear, "Boo," and he jumped about a foot in the air. Cate laughed, and backed up. Mark's wife looked y terrified, but wasn't nearly as shaken as Mark. "Don't wet yourself, dear Muggle." Cate said, tossing her head, and turning around. The comment she had chosen was very ironic. Mark had wet his pants. The crowd didn't know if they should laugh, so they stood there, silently, fighting a laugh. Most of them hadn't realized there were Muggles at the party. But there stood Mark, quite wet indeed. Blushing scarlet, embarrassed, and relieved that he was safe, scuttled off to the bathroom with his wife, who kept throwing angry backwards glances to Cate. Quite satisfied with her self, Cate took a seat at a table, looking around at the crowd. Most faces were familiar, and most of them were also staring at her. They were beginning to feel less sorry for her... ~*~ Ethan tapped his foot. He didn't see any of his friends yet. He was sure that Brynn and Bryce were there someplace, but they were probably off planning a prank of some sort. He didn't know if Mac was there, and if he was, he had probably found Brynn and Bryce. "Ethan!" Came a voice, shouting from the top of the stairs. Brynn, Bryce, and Mac were waving their arms frantically, and beckoning him over. Blushing pink, because there were people staring at him, he climbed the stairs, and immediately Brynn commented on his suit. "It's not THAT big an event, James Bond." She laughed. "Hey, who IS James Bond, anyway?" "Ignore her." Bryce rolled his eyes. "I got quite a few comments too." He was wearing a similar suit. "Such as?" "When's the wedding, and why didn't I get an invitation?" Brynn chimed in. "You two gonna get married tonight?" "Yeah..." Ethan rolled his eyes. "To each other." Bryce reacted wonderfully, putting his arm around him, and batting his eyelids. "Where's the Honeymoon Suite?" He asked in his girliest voice. "Brynn and Mac have probably been in there the whole evening." Ethan remarked. "Hey!" Mac cut it. "Not true!" He grinned. "Only part of the night." Brynn punched all three boys on the arm, and smirked to herself, as they rubbed their arms. She looked different than her usual tomboyish self. Dressed in a tight black dress, with a low cut neck, and a slit to her upper thigh, she reminded Ethan of his mother. "See that all that punch on the table there?" Mac grinned, pointing to the refreshments table. Not for nothing, they were all famous for spiking the punch at Hogwarts... This situation wasn't much different to them. "Now where have you hid the alcohol this time?" Ethan asked. "Well, we can show you, if you want." Bryce grinned, as if to challenge him. Ethan's eyes flashed. This was the best he had felt in a long time. "Of course!" He said, and ran after Brynn and Mac, who were all ready sprinting down the hallway. ~*~ Amidst the arrival of the Pugnares, Brian, Crystal, Fred, and George had found each other in the crowd. Brian was just as dressed up as his older brother was, in a suit. With a tie. "WHY me?" He complained, loosening the tie at his neck. "I feel like there's a noose around my neck!" "That can be arranged..." George grinned. Fred was wearing an identical grin, and had his hands behind his back. "No thanks, being hung from the ceiling fan right now doesn't appeal to me." Brian replied. Crystal wrinkled her nose. She was dressed up too. Her dress was identical to Nita's, except her dress was dark blue. It was much too dressy for her taste. She'd rather be wearing her school robes than heeled shoes and fancy dresses. "I think some mischief needs to be made." She aid, matter-of-factly. "I assure, my older brother and sister will have seen to that." Brian rolled his eyes. "My advice to you: don't drink anything from the refreshments table." Crystal, Fred, and George stared at him for a moment, and shrugged. Brynn's head poked up from behind the table, and she made a motion for the boys to follow her. The four seemed to be the only ones looking at the table, for Cate was causing another scene. "Oh, come on..." Crystal sighed. "Let's entertain the crowd." Crystal led the way to the upper floors of her house, and looked around, before opening a door at the end of the hallway. It led up to the attic, which had an assortment of magical objects. "It's nothing like Brian's attic, but hey... knock yourselves out!" Crystal grinned, gesturing to the things in the attic. This would be a good deal of fun... if they ever got out of the attic. ~*~ Felicity made a noise of dissatisfaction. There was no one for he to talk to. She got a kick out of her mother harassing the Muggles, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep her entertained for the evening. Perhaps she could find Paige. It was enjoyable to hear her scream, while the tree fell over when she was tied to it. But her punishment was not. Cate had sentenced Felicity to clean the attic. The WHOLE attic. It would take up much of not only her winter vacation, but her summer one too. But maybe there would be something interesting in the attic. "Ha! Right..." She thought. "None of my grandfather's prank essentials interest me. That's all that's in our attic." Little did she know what really was in her attic... and just how old her mansion was... "Lissy!" Came a boy's voice. "I thought you weren't here! I saw your mom, older brother, younger brother, little sister, a whole mess of your relatives... but not you." "Hello Blick," Felicity smiled, at the tall boy with black hair. "How long have you been here?" "Forever." Blick said heavily. "All these happy smiling people, and how cheerful they are... it's making me sick." Felicity smiled as sweetly as possible. "Do I make you sick?" Blick blushed ever so slightly. "No." "I guess I'm just not good... at being good." Her eyes sparkled evilly, and she looked around. "How incredibly small this place is. There are too many people. I'm beginning to feel claustrophobic." She grabbed hold of his arm, and pulled him off to a hallway. Choosing a random room, she opened the door, and walked in. "Hey, not too bad. The living room." She smirked, taking a seat on the couch. Propping on rather bare leg up on a coffee table, she patted the seat next to her. "Have a seat, Adam Blick." A rather confused Blick took a seat next to her, smoothing out his straight black hair. But apparently he wasn't seated close enough to Felicity, as she scooted closer to him. "Tell me, Blick," she whispered in his ear. "What are you afraid of?" "Err..." Blick sputtered, looking at her. He didn't really think he was afraid of anything. If need be, he'd face death, and spit in its face. No sort of animal scared him, or any machine or curse. "Nothing, I guess." He replied. Felicity scooted even closer to him, and looked into his black eyes. He could see his own reflection in her deep brown ones. She was pressed close against him, and her nose was close to his. He noticed just now how revealing her dress was; he could see down it. "Um... Liss--" His prying sentence was cut short, for he couldn't speak any longer. The reason for that was due to the fact that Felicity had leaned forward the mere two remaining inches, and kissed him. It wasn't anything he ever would have expected, especially from Felicity. The kiss seemed especially long. Perhaps it was because he had never been kissed before, or for the simple fact that he was only 12. So was Felicity for that matter, but all the same... He felt as if some sort of burden had been lifted from his chest. Suddenly, Felicity pressed against him didn't seem like such an awkward thing. "Um... Well then..." He said, trying to sound as if it were no big deal. But he looked at Felicity again, and said, "So what'd you do that for?" Felicity shrugged. "Well, you were afraid of me for a bit there. Intimidated, rather. Now that you got that out of your way, you're supposedly fearless again." "So how could you tell I was um... Intimidated?" Blick asked, wrinkling his brow. "Oh, it's just an instinct." Felicity shrugged. "Now it's back to our not- so-peaceful lives..." She stood up, and walked out the door, leaving Blick to sit there for a bit. Then, realizing he was alone, he quickly followed her back off to where everyone else was. ~*~ "Uh..." Muttered Maxwell McKenzie. "Bridgett, you're hurting me." "Well, it isn't my fault that we're all smashed against each other in this here closet, is it PAIGE?" Bridgett replied. She was sitting on top of Max, and her face was covered with a smelly old coat. "I didn't choose the closet to hide in... NITA!" Paige replied, trying to stand up. But that was too hard a task for her, as Dominic was piled on top of her, squashing her. "Would you rather have been caught?" Nita shot back in reply, getting hair in her mouth. Her face was pressed against the back of Dominic's head, and his hair got in her mouth as she spoke. "I don't care whose fault it is." Dominic complained. "But I want to get out of this closet!" "Remind me again who wanted to spy on Felicity... Oh yes... That was our dear friend Paige." "I say it was well worth it." Paige said, in defense for herself. "It's not every minute of the day you get to spy on your 12 year old sister." "Your 12 year old sister that's kissing boys in MY living room," Nita reminded her. "Yuck, Dom! When was the last time you washed your hair!" "Last week, thank you very much. I was trying to achieve a nice grungy look, for your information." Dominic replied, trying to shift positions, and accidentally kicking Bridgett, who kicked him back. "Ooooouuuucch..." "Can anyone reach the door knob?" Max asked. "I'd be able to, but there's one slight problem..." Bridgett said, annoyed. "What?" Her four companions asked. "THERE IS NO DOOR KNOB!" She yelled, practically in Paige's ear. "Oh... Um..." Nita replied. "I forgot... this is the HALL closet. I've been locked in here before. By the twins." "Then why didn't you remember there was no door knob on the inside?" Dominic cried, sounding as if he were in a lot of pain. "Max, your elbow just met my side. I don't think they're getting along." "Okay..." Paige said, gasping for a breath, and trying to get Max off her. "Let's review the scenario. There are 5 of us. We're all locked in the smallest closet imaginable, there is no doorknob, and these coats are muffling our sounds. I think we're stuck here until someone wants a coat. That could be ages!" Everyone groaned. In their struggles to get off each other, there were several ripping noises, and no one knew whose clothes ripped. Paige's shoes kept stabbing Dominic, and Dominic wriggled to get free, while Nita squashed him, and Bridgett and Max squashed her. They had moved around some; everyone was in a different position then when they first locked themselves in. But they were still... locked in. ~*~ Cate rubbed her temples. She had a headache, and her feet hurt. She felt like an over inflated balloon, and her lower back was in pain. "Damn pregnancy..." She muttered. Bellum (Or his ghost, rather) had been whispering soft words in her ear all evening, trying to comfort her. Using one chair to sit in, and the other to prop her feet up on, Cate hardly seemed fit to be in public again. A nearby triplet broke into tears, and wailed. "Get it away from me!" Cate yelled, the pain in her head even worse with the wailing. The middle-aged woman holding the baby looked at her, wrinkling her already wrinkled nose. It was at that moment one of the men that had been following her all night put his hand on her shoulder, and asked her if she wanted a massage. Feeling that this was the last straw, Cate clenched her teeth. "Get your hand off me." She hissed, turning around to face him. The poor portly 20-ish man cowered in fear, and took his hand off her shoulder. Now that Cate was standing, she felt she'd have to say something to the rest of the onlookers, before she sat down. "Cate..." Sirius muttered, stepping closer to her. "Don't." He had been keeping a close watch on her all evening, for the same reason Bellum was. "Keep your nose out of this." She hissed, and backed up. Immediately, she felt cold, and a chill seemed to engulf her. She shuddered, and her eyes rolled back. She had stepped into Bellum again. Once he floated away, invisible still, the cold left her body, and she looked normal once again. The crowd was murmuring, thinking she was possessed, or something of the like. The comment, "Poor child! So beautiful, yet such a troubled life she leads..." Caught Cate's attention. Using Sirius to steady her, she stepped onto a chair, and from there, moved atop the table. Barefoot, pregnant, and angry, she glared at the crowd. "I don't need your pity." She said, looking at Meagan in particular. "You should be needing mine. All of you feel sorry for me. 'What a troubled life I lead!' For something bad is always happening. Well, instead of pitying me, you pathetic souls should get on with your lives and leave me alone. There's nothing you can do! And if you tried, you'd be killed in the process, like everyone else has." She was referring to her early friends. When she was 12, her best friend was killed, and her other one was afraid of her... Zach. Cate scowled, and looked at Meagan again. "Then you have some other people..." She trailed off, still gazing at Meagan. "People who pity me because they knew my parents well. Wishing I was like my parents. Wishing that because my parents were gone, and wanting me to replace them." All of the party stared at her. In the crowd, Cate could pick out all of her children, except for Paige. Every young Potter seemed to be present... but what did Cate know. She didn't know that Nita wasn't there. So she carried on with her speech, pacing about the tabletop. "But you shouldn't replace people with other people, should you, Meagan?" She said. "One would think that one would learn that." Meagan said nothing, but desperately wished Cate would stop. She looked nervously at all her children, and at James Potter, who was standing beside Harry. "Yes... a replacement. That's all you are." Cate paused and pointed to Harry. "Our dear mother of 8, and beloved wife... Wasn't quite as beloved as she is now... For her heart yearned for JAMES Potter once. But he loved someone else. James loved Lily. Not her. She'd just gotten over someone else not loving her, though it was more of a schoolgirl crush." Cate looked at Sirius and Lizzie. "But all the same... heartbreak hurts. Then all your friends disappear. Scattered. Gone. What does she have left... Why, her friends' children. I believe those children would be Mr. Harry Potter and myself who resembles his father so much it's frightening. Even in his actions, he reminded Meagan of James. It was the man she couldn't have, but now she did... in another way." Cate's mouth formed a wiry grin, and she looked to the confused Potter children, Harry, (who had gone red in the face) James, and Meagan. Crystal was standing next to Brian, and her eyes were puzzled. She looked to her mother, whose eyebrows had narrowed. "That's right, kids! Did I forget to mention that your mother is the SAME age as James Potter? Didn't mummy tell you that all ready? Hm... Must have slipped her mind. Indeed, a victim of such a horrible curse might have gone a little forgetful." All four Potters (4, because Nita was trapped in the closet) old enough to understand... didn't. It didn't make sense to them. Cate explained further. "So she's got James back. If you all get what I mean. She's got a replica! What about the other child? Oh, I was juuuust peachy. I'd faded into the background, and everyone just thought I was a poor innocent girl who had a bad childhood. But Meagan was soon to learn that I was much more than that... Sometimes, you just don't appreciate people, until they leave... Then you wish you had been nicer... Wish you had done something earlier." The room was still silent. No one dared say anything. Cate seemed to be done telling a story, and now had a point to cut across. "So I was pitied. That was all. No one did anything. Everyone felt so bad for me, being alone in the world. Well, something showed them, and made them think otherwise. But it's happened again. Now everyone pities me again. Sympathy cards, flowers! Honestly, you idiots, will that help? The answer is no." Cate still paced about the table, her fists balled up. Suddenly, she stopped, and grinned oddly at the crowd. Her eyes flashed gold dangerously, and her skin shone brighter. She opened her fists, there was a brief flash of white light, and Cate rose off the ground then fell suddenly, unconscious. Lunging quickly, Sirius caught her. She was breathing, and still had a heartbeat, but showed no other signs of being alive. Sirius determined aloud that she was just unconscious, and that the people should keep their noses out of this affair. "Oh, come on Cate... what happened now?" He muttered. Cate screamed in agony. Nothing had happened! Instead, she was alone, surrounded by the stars. She spun around to face a man in old-fashioned robes, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. She gasped, and glared. "Gryffindor!" She hissed. "Leave me alone." She turned around, so she wouldn't have to face him and his righteous looks, and advice. But her turn left her face-to-face with Rowena Ravenclaw, whose stern, yet kinda gaze was fixed upon her. "Both of you!" She growled. "Leave me alone!" Opening her still clenched fists, she raised her hand to Ravenclaw, and opened her hand. A blaze of white light shot straight through her, doing no damage. "Dammit!" Cate shouted. "Go away! I don't want your sympathy, either!" Gryffindor appeared beside Ravenclaw, since Cate showed no sign of turning around again. "Then what do you want, Catherine Elizabeth?" He asked her. "I- I- I want to be left alone!" Cate sputtered, not truly knowing what she wanted to say to them. She knew they could see what she desired. Cate wanted Bellum back... she wanted to have a peaceful life. "That we can help you with," Ravenclaw sighed, waving a hand. She and Gryffindor disappeared, leaving Cate alone with the stars again. After Cate realized there was no way for her to get back to Earth, she shouted for them again. "No! Come back! You can't just leave me here!" "As you wish..." Came Ravenclaw's soft voice, and she appeared again, with Gryffindor at her side. "Now are you going to preach to me before you send me back? Are you going to tell me that my life is once again a mess? Well, I know it is all ready. Or are you going to send your pity like the rest of the world? Tell me you're sorry, but there's nothing you can do. I know. So just send me back!" Gryffindor looked her in the eyes. "There's a hole in your soul." He said softly. "Thank you, Oh Founding Father." Cate responded, her voice full of sarcasm. "Or are you sure I even have a soul? After all, I know it was you two that stopped me from killing everyone in that room tonight. And you knew I would have." "We know." Ravenclaw bowed her head. "We aren't going to let it happen again. The empty space needs to be filled, but you're too cold-hearted at the moment to let anyone try and help you..." "There you go again!" Cate shrieked. "Everyone says they can help! I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP!" "Nor do you want our pity." Gryffindor said, like he was talking to himself. "Then you shan't have it." Ravenclaw cast him a sideways glance. Her eyebrows raised, and she looked curious. Gryffindor wasn't looking at her, however, he was looking at Cate. "So then I'll tell it to you like it is." His blue eyes flashed, and he looked Cate in the eyes again. "Then, if you please... It's your fault. Your fault that your parents' lives fell apart. Your fault that your stepfamily died. Your fault you can't control your emotions. It's your fault you killed so many people, and your fault you tried to do it again. It's somehow your fault your husband died, because he loves you, and you love him. It's your fault that awful things happen to those that are close to you. Your fault. You brought this on yourself." Cate stared at him. She suddenly felt itchy all over, as if there were something crawling in her skin. Inside her skin. He cold stare was broken, and she turned again. "See... With that statement, even you admit that it would have been better if I had not been born. Then you'd just have Meagan, or my mother. They get along. They cause no trouble. Then everything would be perfect. People tell me that it wouldn't be all better if I hadn't been born. They just say that to make me feel better. But I know what they really feel. They too wish I had never come to existence." Cate said softly, silent tears streaming down her face. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw looked at each other. Ravenclaw put a hand on Gryffindor's shoulder, and her hazel eyes seemed misty. She nodded, and removed her hand. "You're wrong." Gryffindor said. "But not entirely. Everything would be different. But not for the better. It would all be worse. Much, much worse, my dear." "How so?" Cate said, turning around again. "If you had never been born... your mother would have met the same fate. Jacob James would have killed her before Sirius could do anything. Lily and James Potter would still be murdered, and Sirius Black thrown into prison. All without you." "It sounds the same. But I wasn't there in the future to mess things up even more." Cate responded. "But Sirius never would have gotten out of Azkaban. Knowing that Elizabeth was dead would have defeated his escape. He wouldn't be able to muster up the courage. In fact, he would have died after being there for less than a year. He would have starved himself, and the Dementors would have gotten to him." Cate stood silent. Gryffindor continued on, "That would leave the last Blood Heir gone... your mother. There was no you, and he was the last Blood Heir... The Slytherin heir. He soon would have gained power, since he was he last blood heir. Lord Voldemort would have grown so powerful that no one could stop him." "It's no different than when I was in power. People died. People were murdered. He's got my blood anyway, so what's the difference?" "Meagan would have been in too much grief. After the demise of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin would have committed suicide. Depression would have taken her over, and by the time Harry Potter would have reached a school age, his luck would be nearly out. Marykate and Meagan would have been close to him in his 6th year... Then Voldemort would finish him off. You wouldn't be there to occupy Voldemort. He enjoyed watching you. There was something about you, my heir, that intrigued him. But there was nothing to distract him. He would have killed Harry. "Then Meagan would have committed suicide. It would have been too much. There would be no heir at all for me. My lineage would be completely gone, and Evil would rule all. Marykate would still marry Ron, however, but they would have no children. This was due to the fact that Ron would be killed early in their marriage. Marykate would spend the rest of her life alone, feeling guilty that she was the only one alive. There would be nothing to stop Voldemort, because Dumbledore would have passed on. Darkness would engulf the world. There would be no heirs except for Slytherin's." Cate bit her lip. She had never thought of it that way. But one more thing was burning a hole in her mind... "What about Bellum. Would he have married someone else?" "No, Cate." Ravenclaw answered. "He would have been killed by Mors Vox when he was 19, and discovered. Dolere would have dug up his records in the American Ministry, and discovered he was a spy. His end would have been just as gruesome, if not worse." "There'd be no one left." Cate said softly. "Just because I wasn't there?" "Exactly." Gryffindor said. "You're the middle link in the chain, Cate. You connect good and evil, keeping everything together. Keeping it solid. Without you, everything would break. You're the balance." Cate blinked. Everyone would have met a tragic end. All because she simply wasn't there. It was enough to make her think... Just in that moment, she had faced the truth. It was cold and hard, but it was the truth. "See, Cate? It really IS your fault. Your fault that everyone is still alive. It's your fault Bellum fell in love with you, and escaped his fate. It's your fault there are 4 very beautiful children on Earth, and on more on the way. But it's not a bad thing that it's your fault." Gryffindor looked at her again. "Are you ready to go back? Are you calm? Are you going to stop trying to prove yourself to the world... again?" "Yes." Cate said. "I'm sorry. But I'm ready to go back." "Good." Ravenclaw nodded to Cate, her hazel eyes shining again. "Goodbye, Cate. We'll see you again." Cate waved slowly to them, and felt herself disappear suddenly into the darkness... ~*~ "Um... Do you think she had some of that punch or something?" Bryce asked skeptically. "That might have caused it." "No." Ethan answered. "I watched her. She didn't have any. She was too busy bickering." "Then it was another Power Trip." Brynn sighed. She remembered being about 7 or so, when Cate had gone on one, and the same thing had happened. "Is that a good thing?" Mac asked. "Uh... Not really." Bryce answered. "You never know what she'll do when she wakes up." "Errr..." Mac said. "Well, the three of you are all related to her, not me..." "Sadly." Ethan sighed. "Sometimes I wish I had a normal family." "We all do, Eath. We all do." Bryce patted his shoulder. They were in their own private corner in the Potter living room, where Cate's personal doctor was examining her. There were a lot of people listening at the door, but only Cate's immediate family was allowed inside, with the exception of Mac. The doctor glanced around, knowing exactly what the diagnosis was. It was the same as it usually was... A failed Power Trip. But he didn't feel like saying it aloud, knowing that there were people listening outside. Bellum was floating around, completely visible now. This was the alternative to pacing, which he would have been doing, if he were alive. There was no sign of Paige anywhere, and that was making him nervous as well. "Find my daughter!" He said to Bryce. Bryce looked a little taken aback, but he left the room, followed by Ethan, in search of Paige. No sooner than a second after he shut the door, Cate's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up quickly, gasping for breath. "Cate!" Bellum exclaimed, flying (literally) to her side. "Are you okay?" "Yeah..." Cate said, looking at him, and thinking of what would have been his fate. "I- I'm fine." "You had me worried there..." He said, looking at her again. "Sorry... it was another... Never mind..." She trailed off. They knew what she meant. "I think we should get out of this room, I don't like it." By that, Cate meant she wanted to leave. "Where's Paige? And Ethan?" "Er... We don't know where Paige is, and Ethan's looking for her." Sirius answered. "Just come to the kitchen and we'll get you some ice water or something." Cate sighed, and walked to the door. Upon opening it, she hit one man and two women in the head; they had their prying ears pressed against the door when she opened it. ~*~ Paige groaned. There was something pressing against her nose. It was her knee. Her leg was wedged upright... and she was wearing a dress. It seemed as if she had dozed off, as well as Dominic, whose head was on her arm. "Ugh... he drooled on me!" She cried. "Nice to see you awake, again." Came Bridgett's voice from below. "Now maybe I have a chance of moving you off me." "Hey, Paige!" Max said, fighting a laugh. "Those are some pretty hot underwear you've got on!" "Arrgghhh!!!" Paige cried. For a few moments, she had forgotten about her dress. But her leg was stuck between Nita and Dominic. Max snickered, and Nita kicked him as best she could. "There. Now he's in pain." She hissed. "Good." Paige replied. "Serves him right, little pervert, MAX!" "Okay... I say it's time we all try and move again." Paige said, shoving Dominic off her. He shook his head, and opened his eyes. "What'd I miss while I was slumbering peacefully? Paige made a nice pillow." He said, still rather sleepily. "Paige has-- OUCH!" "Thanks again, Nita." They all rolled around again, everyone moving around. Bridgett was now at the bottom of the pile, and pinching the person on top of her, who happened to be Max. Everyone moved again, to a slightly more comfortable squished position. They were still stuck. ~*~ "Um... Doesn't seem to good a time for a prank." Brian said. "Yeah..." Crystal replied. She wasn't in much of a mood for jokes, either. What Cate said still didn't make sense to her, and she wanted to ask her mother about it. "This is one of those times where nothing is funny." "I'd have to say I agree." Fred said. "Me too," George added. "Until next time?" Brian asked. "Until next time..." Everyone else said. ~*~ "We're aloooooone." Brynn whispered in Mac's ear. "Not even Ethan and Bryce are around." She ran her fingers through his hair, and kissed his neck. "This isn't our living room," Mac reasoned, kissing her back. "I don't think it'd suit Mr. and Mrs. Potter well to know that we've been making out on their living room sofa. "Closet." Brynn said quickly. "I saw a closet in the hall." Between kissing each other passionately, and making sure no one was looking, they made their way out of the living room, and to the hall closet. "That?" Mac asked. "That thing's TINY!" "So what?" Brynn argued. "We'll just be closer together." Mac shrugged, and kissed Brynn again before opening the door. Giving it a good tug, it opened after her turned the knob, and his jaw dropped at what fell out. Five 9 year olds were in a heap in front of him and Brynn. One of them was his little brother. Another was Brynn's sister, and two more were related to her. The last little girl looked like a Potter. "My ass..." Bridgett muttered. "Bridgett!" Brynn exclaimed, quite stunned at her younger sister's choice of words. "Lucky we got out of there now." Max said. "I have to go to the bathroooooooooom! I was in danger of wetting myself, and wetting the rest of you in the process." "Ewww..." Paige rolled over, moaning about a cramp in her leg. Her dress was ripped in several places, and her hair was a tangled mess. Dominic was rubbing a stiff neck, Max was nursing a scratch from Bridgett, Nita was rubbing herself all over, and Bridgett, was rubbing her behind. After all five of them had stood up, Paige saluted the couple and said, "It's all yours... ENJOY!" Then all five of the scuttled off as fast as their sore bodies allowed them to... Brynn and Mac stared at them, and immediately abandoned their closet make- out idea... ~*~ "Paige! I found you!" Ethan said, as Paige came out of the bathroom. He hugged her immediately, pretending not to notice what a mess she was. "Mom's angry... and we have to leave." "Um.... Okay?" Paige said, giving him a funny look. "If I don't ask, you don't ask..." "Fair enough." Ethan shrugged, and he let go of her. Bryce sighed, and went off in his own direction. Cate's eyebrows practically shot to her hairline when she saw Paige. Not asking, just staring, she pulled Paige out the door by the hand... that was their dramatic exit, to go along with their entrance... For Bridgett, the night wasn't over. After she came out of the bathroom, looking no different then when she was freed from the closet, she ran into the person she least wanted to run into... "Rico!" She hissed, backing up. Rico smirked at her. He was dressed in a slick black tuxedo, and his black hair was combed back. "It's hard to believe that you got even slimier looking." "Shall I pretend I didn't hear that, and not comment on your own attire?" He asked, in his Spanish accented voice. "Yes. Then we'll all leave in peace, and I'll try not to have nightmares about seeing you in... That tuxedo." "Well, I'm scarred for life. Bridgett Black seems to have been battling with her dress... and she seems to have lost." He said, looking her up and down. "That's it! I've had enough of you!" Bridgett hissed, lunging at him, and punching him in the face. He was too stunned to react at first, but by the time he was tackled, and his head hit the floor, he was ready to fight back. "My mother told me not to hit girls... But you obviously aren't a girl... you're a monstrosity!" He said, taking a swing at her jaw, and making contact. "Well, my mum never told me I couldn't hit a girl!" Bridgett shot back, rolling him over, and standing up to kick him. "That's why I'm allowed to hit you! I was never taught any better!" Before Rico could think of a comeback, or even hit her, his older sister, Reina, who looked quite embarrassed by his behavior, pulled him away. "WHY are you fighting with Bryce's sister?" She asked him, grabbing hold of his ear. "Because I HATE her!" He screamed, and Bridgett laughed at him, as Reina pulled him away by the ear. "Love you too, Reeky Rico!" She said, in a falsely sweet tone. ~*~ "Er-" Paige started, for conversation in the limo ride home. "That was some party." She looked at Felicity, and tried not to laugh. "My dear daughter..." Cate said smoothly. "Paige, sweetheart, what happened to you?" "Oh, someone locked me in a closet with Bridgett and Dominic." She lied, thinking that it seemed plausible. "Why would they do that?" Felicity sneered. "Stay out of this, Lissy." Cate said. "Or I'll double your punishment. Now, Paige..." "Well, mum, can YOU think of anyone that doesn't exactly like us?" Paige said, pleased with herself. It seemed that she was going to get herself out of this. Cate didn't say anything. She'd had enough trouble for one evening... Way too much trouble, rather... Her head hurt, and she ached all over. She wished that she had less than 3 months of being pregnant left... 


	25. Good Things Come in Small Packages

Chapter 25 Good Things Come in Small Packages "It isn't true, is it?" Harry asked the moment the last guest had left. Meagan, startled, looked at him with anxious eyes. "What isn't true?" she asked, flopping onto the couch and dragging him with her. "That you love me because I'm like my father?" he asked timidly, staring out the window and into the night sky. Meagan stroked his hair gently, kissed him tenderly on the lips, and smiled. Her eyes were a rainbow of color. Harry knew what that emotion was: love. "Harry, if you were anything like your father, we would have been divorced two days into our marriage." Meagan said, her eyes seemingly giving off their own glow. Harry shot her a perplexed glance. "I thought you said I was like him." He said, startled. Meagan sighed and rubbed her temples. "Well, you are." She said, her forehead wrinkling as she tried to explain. That only made the situation worse, for Harry looked even more bewildered. "You see, you look like him. You don't necessarily act like him only that much." She stopped to touch the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. "When you need courage, when you act brave, when you confront dangers is where you are most like him. You have inherited more than your father's looks: you have inherited his bravery." Running her fingers through his hair, Meagan fought to find words. "The love we share, Harry, is between lovers. Sure, I had a crush on Prongs when I was young and foolish, but I was young. Well, I'll always be young at heart, but." She stopped, sighing. She touched the scar on her cheek. "I just don't love James that way. I love him like a brother, like Mark almost." She paused for a moment, thinking, "Almost like a father-in-law." She smiled. Meagan gave a big sigh and said, "I had bad taste back then! I dated a Muggle boy (though he was quite cute) and the former Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, to name a few!" Harry looked shocked and then started to snort with suppressed laughter. "I don't think I should have told you that, but hey, I did what I did. The past is the past and it's behind us." Meagan gently cupped her husband's chin. "I love you Harry. What would I have done if we hadn't married? More importantly, what would you have done?" She kissed him softly and gently, though it was full of meaning and was much more complex than any of the kisses that had been passed throughout history. Harry pondered her question. "I don't know what I would have done." He admitted sheepishly. Meagan, knowing without a doubt that her eyes reflected that of love, pointed to her eyes. "Harry, my eyes never lie. Have they ever turned the color of the rainbow when I was around James, and, for that matter, any of the Marauders?" Still cupping his face in her hands, she put her face close to his. "No," Harry said, his chest rising.   
  
"Look into my eyes Harry. Forget everything, think nothing, and look past my face, deep into my heart. What do you see?" Meagan made it so that her and Harry's noses were touching. "Look deep inside of me, past the shut doors. I open those doors to you know. What do you feel? What do you think? What do you see?" Tears started to form in her eyes. They trickled meaningfully down her face. Harry tried to look away, but couldn't. He saw the clockwork that made Meagan tick, he heard the buzz of thoughts whirring around her mind and heart, he felt what she was feeling, and he could only think of her and her face. "I." he started, finally ripping his eyes from hers. "I." he said again, but the words died in his throat. Meagan released his chin and touched this throat and heart. "I feel love," he uttered finally. Meagan nodded and kissed him again. Harry felt a rush of emotions with this kiss. He felt her sadness, he felt her love, and he felt her gladness. Of all the kisses that have ever been made, this one was the most meaningful, passionate, and love-filled that had ever come to be. "Never leave me." She whispered. "I'll never leave you." Harry replied, falling into another kiss. "Will we always be together?" Meagan asked. "Always," said he, and he truly meant it. ~*~ Mark stood at the door. He heard everything they said. He saw every kiss they shared. He saw them glow with the magic pulsing through their veins. He felt the love that radiated off them. He tasted the damp air and sweat that trickled down his face. He smelled the strong magic of love bouncing off the walls. He felt the envy creeping into his subconscious. He bit his lip to keep from screaming. He wished he and his wife were like that. He felt happy and sad at the same time. He felt envious and generous at the same time. His emotions spun around his head like water going down a drain. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He saw a woman dressed in royal blue robes. There was a raven in a crest along with the word "Ravenclaw." Her glasses hid steely blue eyes. Her strawberry-blonde hair was up in a bun in the back of her head. A blue witch's hat was perched atop her neat hair. She pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to Meagan and Harry. She shook her head. Mark vaguely remembered her. He strained his memory but found no identity to this woman who was smiling down upon him. 'Hello, Markus.' The woman said inside his head, making gooseflesh rise on his arms and legs. 'Don't you remember me?' the woman asked, her lips curling further. He shook his head. 'Why, 'tis I, Marykate Casper. But I am no longer a Casper, but a Weasley.' Marykate said to Mark, grinning wider. Mark felt guilty. He remembered her, but it had just been so long. 'Don't feel jealousy toward Meagan.' She said, looking at Meagan and smiling. 'She has had many losses in her life. So have I, now that I think about it.' Marykate mouthed a sigh. 'When Lily and James died, everything fell apart. Peter betrayed the friends that had been so kind to him and faked his own death to join ranks with Lord Voldemort. Sirius, blamed for the death of the Potters, was sent to the wizarding prison of Azkaban. He was torn away from Lizzie, who was pregnant with Cate at the time. Remus almost committed suicide, but I prevented him from it. By gosh, Meagan almost committed suicide from the losses. Then we went to Hogwarts again and now here we are.' She told him all of this and then looked at Meagan again, smiling with only her eyes. 'She's got love now. She's got a wonderful career, a loving husband, and eight fantastic children who are all as she was. She has waited a long time for this. Don't be jealous.' She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 'I myself have found happiness with my children and my husband.' She looked at Harry and Meagan one last time. 'We haven't seen each other for a long time, Meagan and I. We promised to each other, all three created heirs, that we would reunite one day. But, sadly, today is not that day. I must go now, young Delmore. Tell no one of our meeting.' She hugged Mark. She disappeared from the spot and left Mark with nightmares for the rest of his life. ~*~ Kristina Delmore, Mark's wife, paced her bedroom. It was one of the many bedrooms in Potter Manor. She was staying for a few days. She was worried about her husband. She was worried sick. She sat on the bed and put her head in her hands, lost in her thoughts. A giggle wrenched her from her thoughts. "Hello?" Kristina said through her fingers. Another giggle answered her. She lifted her head and looked around her current bedroom. "Hello?" she said again, scanning the shadowed areas. A pair of brilliant green eyes hovered in the shadow of the dresser. Kristina got up and walked over. "Hi." She said, squatting to see who it was. "Hi." Said a little girl's voice. "Will you come out of there?" Kristina asked. The Green Eyes nodded. Indeed, it was a little girl. She had lush, red hair that flowed down to her waist. Her eyes were emerald green, and Kristina swore she recognized them from somewhere. She was covering her mouth with one hand, hiding a smile and holding back a giggle. She was skinny and had a pale skin complexion. She looked Irish. "Where did you come from?" Kristina asked. The girl giggled. "I live here." She said. "I don't recall you." Kristina said, "What is your name?" The little girl paused, as if deciding whether or not to tell. "Lily Evans." Lily whispered into Kristina's ear, giggling again. "Lily? That's a pretty name. I'm Kristina Delmore." Kristina smiled at Lily. "How old are you, dear?" Lily paused at this, too. Her eyes were full of laughter and they danced in the candlelight. "I'm eight." She said proudly. "What is so funny? What is it that you're giggling about?" Kristina asked, not forcefully but firmly. Lily giggled again, looked around, and whispered, "I'm spying on James. He mustn't know, though." Kristina looked shocked. "Lily, is James your friend?" Kristina asked, squaring her jaw. "Yes, Mrs. Delmore. We knew each other ever since we were born. He's eight, the same as me!" Lily said, then, "I'm a day older, though." She giggled again. Kristina, perplexed, asked, "When is your birthday?" Lily, looking excited, said, "Tomorrow. I was born on December 31st, 1969." Kristina opened her mouth to say that it was ridiculous, when she heard the floorboards creaking outside the door. Lily gave a delighted squeal. "I think he knows! I'd better go! It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Delmore. I hope we see each other again!" she said, and ran. She moved a portrait (whose name read Patrick the Prankster) on its hinges. Patrick gave a miffed noise as Lily ran into an opening behind it. Kristina stood shocked for a moment. "Lily! Wait!" she cried, running to the painting. She opened the painting with a great amount of effort. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and dust covered the floor. She had to bend over and scuttle through the passageway. "Don't be waking me up again, you!" said the angry portrait as it swung back into place. "Lily!" called Kristina, getting a mouthful of dust. She coughed. "If you're following me, then hurry up!" said Lily's voice from around a bend. Kristina hurried up and saw Lily run into a room. She followed. "Come, come, Mrs. Delmore. James mustn't know we're in this passageway! He shan't be happy if he finds out!" Lily cried in excitement as Kristina entered the room. Kristina's jaw dropped open. ~*~ James, awoken by a high-pitched giggle, grumpily got out of his attic bedroom and walked down the stairs. He itched his side wearily and sniffed. He walked down the corridor and heard voices coming from Kristina's room. She heard Kristina's voice and a voice that sounded familiar. James tried to remember, but he couldn't quite place the familiar voice. He heard a third person shout in indignation and rapped on the door. "Kristina!" he called through the door. No one answered. He waited for a minute and then rapped on it again. "Kristina!" he yelled, a little louder this time. No answer came from the room. Biting the inside of his cheeks, James pulled his wand from his pocket. "Alohomara!" he muttered. The door eased open by itself. James, quietly, swung the door open. No one was inside. He scratched his head and yawned. He searched the room and found nothing. There were two portraits in the room. One was that of Patrick the Prankster and the other one was Fredrick the Funny. He smiled at the two sleeping portraits and decided that nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Patrick woke up and looked at James. James winked at the portrait and the portrait winked back. Quietly, James shut the door behind him. ~*~ A man in a dark yellow cloak wondered through the quiet street that housed Muggles and wizards alike. A hood covered his face, so it would hide his identity. The only thing you could see were two electric blue eyes that shone brightly from beneath the hood. Though you couldn't tell, he was smiling widely. The man took long strides and came to a stop in front of a large manor. He knew the lady of the household very well. He looked the house up and down and a one small tear formed in his eye. He quickly wiped it away. He quietly took a letter out of his cloak and placed it on the doorstep. "The time comes near, my friends, very near." He whispered in a deep voice that seemed to calm you from just listening. Suddenly, the man felt someone's presence. "The time comes near." The man said again, his eyes misting over. The man took his cloak and swished it. He slowly faded away into the night air. The last things to remain were two electric blue eyes, staring up at the house of his companion. Soon, they too were gone. ~*~ Crystal stirred in her bed. She could feel something was wrong. She felt like something dead was lurking around the house. Her eyebrows knitted, she slowly got out of bed and crept down the stairs. The house was dark and she had a sense that something was running amok. She saw her parents in the living room, staring quietly out at the night and talking in hushed voice to each other. Thinking she didn't want to get into it, she crept silently past her mother and father and to the door. She looked at the door and used her special power to look through things to see through the door. She saw a pair of electric blue eyes. She gasped and her concentration was lost. Crystal shook herself mentally. She concentrated again and looked through the door, seeing nothing. It was probably nothing, she thought. She shuddered though. She could have sworn someone was out there. A chill swept down her spine. Rubbing her arms from the chill, she snuck to her bed again. She looked at her wall. It was a giant picture of her mother and father playing Quidditch. With another shudder, Crystal pulled the blankets over her head and fell into a fitful sleep. ~*~ Mark watched James go back to bed. When the wizard was out of sight, he went into his bedroom. He looked around the room and didn't see his wife. Brow furrowed, he looked from the deserted bed to the shadows. He saw nothing and decided that Kristina had gone to the bathroom. He stripped of his day clothes and put his PJs on. He slipped into bed and waited. He waited for about five minutes when he thought something must be wrong. He got out of bed and ran to Meagan. "Meagan! Kristina's gone!" Mark said, his eyes wide. Meagan tore herself away from Harry. "Where did you last see her?" Harry asked. "At the party. She said she was going to bed and now she's gone! What if she's hurt?" Mark asked, white and shaking. Meagan hugged her little brother. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She let comfort slip from her fingers and into Mark's quivering form. He slowly stopped shaking. "We'll find her. She probably isn't hurt, because I would have heard it. We'll find her." Meagan said, running her fingers through her hair. Mark's eyes welled with tears. He felt guilty, for he had envied Meagan for the love she had and that he didn't realize that he had. He had been foolish. He knew one thing, though; they were going to get Kristina back. And that was final. ~*~ Kristina lost her voice completely as she looked around the room. Her eyes darted from the pictures, to the dusty trinkets. The room looked as if it had been untouched for years on end. "Oh Lily," she said, awed. She looked around for the little girl of age eight, but she had mysteriously disappeared. "Lily?" Kristina asked, a little louder. "LILY!" she shrieked, but all attempts were futile. Lily had just simply disappeared from existence. Kristina, shaking all over, walked up to one of the pictures and blew the dust off it. "The Marauders" said the fancy gold lettering at the bottom of the frame. There were five kids in the picture. Their names and nicknames labeled them and they were all grinning, bouncing, and waving energetically. The first kid's name was labeled, "James Potter, a.k.a. Prongs." Her eyes traveled across, "Sirius Black, a.k.a. Padfoot" and "Remus Lupin, a.k.a. Moony" and then she saw something that startled her. It was a girl who was, perhaps, twelve with thick brown hair. Her eyes were purple and she was grinning widely. She was bouncing and waving. The inscription read, "Meagan Delmore, a.k.a. Blue Eyes." Kristina's eyes widened. "But, that's Mark's sister. Impossible," she muttered. She put the picture back. She wandered over to a carousel with shimmering golden horses that said, "To Lily with love, from your one and only Prongs." She went over to another picture that said, "My Best Buds." Meagan was in that picture too. So was that friend Meagan always talked about: Marykate. Lizzie was there too, only she wasn't a Black yet. Pictures covered the dusty walls. Some said, "The Marauders and Company" and others said, "Gryffindor Quidditch Team." Most were of Lily and the Marauders. Some were of just Lily and James. Some were just her best friends (which included Meagan, of course). Kristina picked up a card that lies on the table. "Congratulations, Lily!" read the cover. It had a picture of a baby boy wrapped in blue blankets. She opened it and read: Dear Lily, I know you might not remember me as well, but this is from someone you don't see anymore. We were the best of friends in school and I was the fifth and only girl Marauder. Have you guess at my identity yet? If you have, you're probably right. I wish I could see you, but I must hide my face from the world for now. I want to congratulate you on having your first child. He is adorable. He looks just like James, but he has your beautiful eyes. Your eyes were almost as fantastic of my blue-green ones. well, when they stay blue- green. My eyes were usually purple around you guys. I want you to know that you are never alone. I'm always there. You may not see me, but I'm there. No, I'm not wearing an invisibility cloak. I'm not even using spell. I'm using my powers. You should know who this is now, even though I can't sign my name. Remember, Lily, I'm always there. Think of me as your invisible guardian angel. When you're dead and gone, Harry will be in my protection and care. You have no need to worry about his safety. I know you'll be a great mother. Love, Your invisible guardian angel Kristina knew who the "invisible guardian angel" was. She knew it was Meagan. The question was now who Lily is and where she was. Most importantly, why hadn't she returned here? Kristina saw a ring on the dresser next to the card. It was emerald green, a green that matched Harry's eyes. It had an inscription on it: "May we always be together, here and in the after life." She guessed it was Lily's wedding ring. She found a necklace too. She opened it and it played a tune. It was "All of my Favorite Things." There were two pictures in it. One was of a much younger James Potter and one of a much older Lily Evans. She closed the locket and ran through the passageway. She was covered in dust and cobwebs. In a mater of seconds, she ran into the portrait and heaved it open. She had to find Mark and Meagan! ~*~ "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa, la, la, la! La, la, la, la, la!" Meagan sang to lift people's spirits. Mark looked over at her and grumbled something about having a monstrosity for a sister. Meagan gave a sigh once she realized she had failed. Her spirits brightened almost immediately. "Malfoy got run over by a reindeer, flying home from Hogwarts Christmas Eve! You can say there's no such thing as Santa, but as for me and Harry we believe!" Mark gave a weak smile. Harry couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. He remembered Malfoy's face when he got run over. He supposed Meagan did too, or else she wouldn't have been singing. "Mark!" came a shriek. Mark, recognizing the voice sprinted down the corridor. Meagan was faster. She sprinted down the corridor. "I don't know how she does it." Harry muttered as he caught up with Mark. "What? Am I supposed to know? I only saw her at night." Mark said. Harry glanced at him. "Oh, I know. She's Gryffindor's created heir. He created her with special powers to fight all evil," he said, paused for a moment, then said, "And she does kick evil's butt fairly well." They came to the room where Kristina stood. She was filthy. Cobwebs decorated her hair and she was gray from dust. She pointed an accusing finger at Meagan. "You-You're as old as James Potter. You're older than your husband by 18 years!" she yelled. Meagan, panic-stricken, put a finger to her lips. "Shhh! The kids don't know! I don't want them to find out!" she whispered, "But, how on earth did you find out?" "Lily Evans, a little girl who was eight, led me down a passageway." Kristina said. Meagan's jaw dropped and her eyes turned deep blue. Kristina shuddered at the change. "Lily? But, how? Lily's been dead for." Meagan's chest rose as she drew a deep breath, "Thirty-two years. It's been thirty-two years since I failed to save them." "I found a room. A room in this manor that was hers." Kristina said. "This used to be the Evans' manor. That means. the room Lily told us about, the place she kept all her special things, it really exists!" Meagan said, and then she ran down the passageway. Harry ran after her. "What about a secret room that was my mum's?" he asked trying to catch up. Harry ran into Meagan when they got to the room. She didn't seem capable of breathing. Mark ran into Harry and then Kristina ran into Mark. Meagan, amazingly, was still standing. Her eyes were so blue that they were almost black, she walked into the room, letting Harry and the others fall into a crumpled heap on the ground. "It actually exists." Meagan breathed. "When we moved here, I searched the hole place for this room." She touched the pictures that covered the wall. "Look at how many pictures of me and the gang there are," she muttered. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Blue Eyes." She said, "My best friends. They changed my life, they did." Meagan moved along the room, muttering to herself. Harry had a knot in hid throat. "This, this is all. my mum's." he said, barely able to get the words out of his mouth. He sat down quickly on a dusty chair. "I-I can't believe it." He said hoarsely. "This place, in honor of Lily Evans Potter, will not be touched unless for special emergencies." Meagan said, then, with her hand on Harry's shoulder, said, "Only Harry, James, and I can come here." She dismissed them all with hand gestures. Meagan, a single tear falling down her cheek, turned and left the room. ~*~ Meagan made pancakes that morning. Her kids looked at her, amazed. They usually just had cereal. They ate their breakfast in silence until Crystal asked a question that had been bothering her since the party. "Mum?" she asked. Meagan jerked and turned sharply. "Yes?" she asked. "What Cate said last night. was it true?" Meagan waited in silence, pondering on how to answer. "No." she said, levitating a pancake and putting it on Crystal's plate. Crystal pushed it away, not hungry. "Then why did she say it?" she asked. Meagan took a deep breath. "She was drunk," she lied, "Bellum told me. She drank too much wine before she came to the party. I guess the wine made her delirious and made her think those things." Meagan could barely mask her horror. She closed her eyes and barked a laugh. No more questions were asked after that. ~*~ After breakfast, Meagan seemed to return to her regular cheery self. Actually, she more cheerful than usual, for some reason. Harry, on the contrary, looked extremely tired. "Mum, can I go play with Bridgett, Max, and Dominic?" Nita asked, heading for the door. "No." Meagan said, who was busy cleaning the windows. Nita, taken aback, tripped on the carpet. She fell and landed on her nose. "Why not?" she asked, rubbing her nose. "I set up a play date with you and Harry Creevey." Meagan said, indifferent. Nita grimaced. She had met Harry Creevey at the party. He had pestered her and taken her picture. in fact, he had taken pictures of everything he could while he wasn't bouncing around the room. She didn't want to go over his house at all. Gulping, Nita asked, "When am I going over?" Meagan stopped to look at her watch. "In five minutes." She said. Nita sat down and groaned. "Why am I going over? You said you didn't even like him in school!" she asked in a high-pitched squeal. Meagan's nostrils flared and her eyes were spotted with red. "I was being polite. Besides, who says Harry Creevey is like his father?" Meagan took Nita's wrist. "We should get going now." She said. Nita nodded, her nose wrinkled. 'Don't worry,' Meagan mind-waved when they appeared at the Creeveys', purple flashing in her eyes, 'If you don't like it here, pretend to be sick with. the chicken pox. All you have to do is put spots on your skin. It's worked for me in the past.' Nita grinned at her mother, her own eyes flashing purple. Meagan knocked on the door. Ginny answered it. "Meagan! Come in, come in!" she squealed. Meagan bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Harry is in the living room," Ginny told Nita. Nita gave a dejected sigh and walked out into the living room. "Hello!" chirped Harry, bouncing. "Can I take your picture?" Nita sighed and her eyes flashed bronze in annoyance. "Fine." She said, sitting down on the couch and forcing her eyes to be blue-green. She smiled with the straight white teeth she inherited from her mother and fixed her black hair. Harry snapped the pictures eagerly. A little girl with reddish-brown hair that reached down to her waist sidled into the room. She had a band of freckles on her nose. Her eyes were hazel like Colin's. The girl looked about two years younger than Harry. "Meagan! Go away!" Harry said, elbowing the girl in the stomach. The girl tugged on Harry's sleeve. He rolled his eyes. "This is little my little sister Meagan Marykate Creevey." He said, and then returned to the picture taking. When Harry finished taking pictures, he said, "Wanna see my room! I bet you'll like it! C'mon! This is so much fun!" Usually Nita liked hyper kids, but this kid (in her opinion) was whacked. She allowed herself to be dragged up to Harry's room but stopped dead in the doorway. Pictures covered every square inch of the wall and ceiling, and they were all of famous people, the Creeveys', her, and her friends. A cauldron stood on a table. It was for making pictures move, no doubt. "Will you sign this?" asked Harry, pushing a picture of herself under her nose. Nita moved her mouth but no sound came out. He ran and got her a pen. She signed it in messy handwriting and didn't pay attention to what Harry was saying. She was staring at one of the pictures. It was of her father, Harry Potter, perhaps taken in his second year. He was laughing and he had his arms around a boy who was tall, had red hair, freckles, and brown eyes. On the other side was a girl with buckteeth and bushy brown hair. Her brown eyes were laughing along with her mouth. She was in her pajamas. Harry (Potter) was in Gryffindor robes. He was covered in slime and blood. There was a large scar in his right arm, as if something large had bitten him. Ron Weasley, for surely that red hair was Weasley hair, had robes covered in slime and grit. It wasn't the slime and blood that startled her though. Transparent in the back round was a girl with a- little-more-than-shoulder-length hair. She was bobbing up and down, for she was hovering above the floor. Her feature was that of a ghost's, but Nita knew it was no ghost. That girl could only be one person and one person only: Meagan Cassandra Potter. Nita stared at it. "Nita?" asked Harry (Creevey), looking apprehensive. She looked at him, her eyes yellow with shock. Harry gave a strangled cry and jumped back. "What happened to your eyes?" he asked, his voice strangely high-pitched. Nita tensed her shoulders. "They change color with what I'm feeling." She said, biting her lip. "What are you feeling?" Harry asked. She looked over the rim of her glasses at him. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." She said. An hour later, Meagan called her down and said it was time to go. Nita looked at the picture-covered room and had a feeling that she was going to see that room again. ~*~ "Mum," Crystal said in a voice the was dripping in disgusting fake innocence, "Did anyone tell you that you were looking good this morning?" Meagan glanced at her over the Daily Prophet. "What do you want?" she asked, having used that voice when she asked adults for things before. Crystal dropped the oily voice and said, "Can my Muggle friends from America come over?" Meagan thought it over. She looked over at Harry who was watching them. Harry was mouthing something but Meagan didn't understand it. "Well, it could be educational. for ALL of us." She said, looking at her children. "But for how long? How much money to get them here by plane?" Crystal pushed her lower lip out and whined like a puppy. "I'll talk it over with your father." Meagan said. "Go play with your cousins." She turned to Harry and they started to discus it. Crystal turned and ran to find someone to play with. She ran into the next room and found Mary. She was watching the television and was transfixed. Crystal looked over and saw Quidditch. "Quidditch!" she squealed and sat down. ".Quidditch legends Harry and Meagan Potter!" the commentator said. "Mum! Dad! You're on TV again!" Crystal shouted. Mark ambled into the room and sat down, looking exhausted. His eyes widened at the sight on the TV. Crystal bounced as she watched her mother get elbowed in the stomach. "Foul! Cobbing! Extensive use of elbows!" she screamed. The referee blew the whistle. She watched Meagan take the foul and shoot it the hoop. "Harry and Meagan Potter are Quidditch players like we've never seen before! They've suffered only one defeat since they began playing Professionally. The have just celebrated the birth of their triplets: Angelina, Abigail, and Ashleigh. They have eight children and their passion is Quidditch. We haven't seen such spectacular moves since the days of James Potter! The son and daughter-in-law are better than the father, people say! They currently play for Chudley Cannons. They changed the team's motto from 'Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best' back to 'We shall conquer.' They've played for sixteen years, when they graduated in the year 2003." Crystal smiled as she saw more pictures of her parents whizzing by the camera. "We got some words from one of Meagan's old foes." the commentator said and the picture changed to none other than Cate Pugnare. "She's nothing compared to me. She thinks she's so great. She has really slipped up before and doesn't say word about it in front of the camera. Dear Lord, she's full of herself!" Cate said. "Know what I think of her?" she asked. She spit on the ground and rubbed into the ground. This must've been before Bellum had died, because he came over, took her by the arm, and dragged her by the arm. "I'm full of myself?" snorted Meagan, coming into the room. "I'm full of myself? At least I don't mope around sobbing and sulking about how terrible my life is. I look on the bright side. She got her parents back! She got her husband back (even though he's a ghost)! I never got my parents back, and they had more than one kid." She smiled at Mark. She pointed at the TV and it shut off. "Yes, Crys, we've decided your friends can come over." She said, smiling. "Yes!" Crystal said and disappeared from sight to tell Brian. Meagan grinned at the spot Crystal had disappeared. "It's good the kids have my powers. They really enjoy them." She said, sitting down on the couch. ~*~ "In a two months," Jo started, "We get our powers!" finished Jess. They were telling this to Nita, who didn't look happy about it at all. They had her by the arms and they were about to lock her in the hall closet again. Nita struggled against their strong grips and tried to break loose. "Lemme go!" she squealed. She stopped for a moment, right before they locked her in, then wrenched loose. The twins, taken by surprise, gasped and ran after her. Nita was faster than the twins. for now. When they got their powers, they would be able to run faster than the fastest sprinter. This was definitely not good for Nita. Nita savored her advantage while it lasted. She ran for the living room, where she heard voices. She jumped and slid. Her hands touched something. She looked up and saw her mother. The twins stopped in the doorway, panting. Nita smiled but it faltered. "Were the twins chasing you again?" Meagan asked, sighing and shaking her head. Nita nodded sheepishly. "Jo, Jess, you know the drill." Meagan said, watching their shoulders sag as they turned around and went to their room. "Nita," she said, turning to her daughter, "you've gotta start fighting back." Nita's nose wrinkled. "It's two against one and they're stronger than me!" she said. "Point taken." ~*~ So it was arranged that Aaron and Alex, the American Muggles, were going to come over. Meagan called (she didn't dare let Crystal, for Crystal had never used a telephone in her life) them and arranged it with their mother. The next day they went to the airport to pick them up. "Do you see them, Mum?" Crystal asked, standing on tiptoe. "No. Patience is a virtue, Crystal, and it seems as though you don't have it." Meagan said. Crystal rolled her eyes. "I see them!" Meagan said, her eyes shifting colors rapidly. "Alex! Aaron! Over here!" Crystal said, standing on a chair. Meagan gave a sigh, took her by the back of the robes, and pulled her down. Alex and Aaron came over, wheeling their luggage. They looked a little frightened. "C'mon! To my house!" Crystal said, about to disappear, when Meagan put a hand on her shoulder. "The CAR is just over there." Meagan said, and led them all to the car. Meagan drove. Enough said. By the time they got to the Potter household, Alex and Aaron were on the car floor. "Does your mom always drive like this?" Aaron asked Crystal. Crystal grinned and nodded. "Wild, isn't it?" she asked. Alex whimpered and got out of the car. Crystal lifted her trunk easily with one hand. Alex and Aaron stared. Loud banging noises were coming from within the house. "Dear Lord, Prongs isn't even giving the kids a thought!" Meagan said with a sigh as walked up the many steps leading up to the door. When she got to the top step, she heard something crunch beneath her foot. She moved her foot and looked down. A crumpled letter was where she had stepped. She bent down and picked it up. Meagan shook the letter open. Dear Meagan, and Marykate if you're there, I know you think I am gone. I know you think the day would never come when we were united once more. I am back, and I am back to stay. I hope this does not catch you by surprise. I think you foresaw this back in school. I remember it quite well. Please do not reject this letter as a fake, for I assure you it is real. Meet me at Hogwarts under the light of the full moon. This will be in a week. Consider and do not reject Meagan, for this may be the beginning of the end for our nemesis Lord Voldemort.  
  
Yours quite sincerely, M. E. S. Meagan stared at it. The signature had a Hufflepuff crest next to it. Meagan rubbed her temples. "It couldn't be." she murmured. She bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm coming." She said softly to the frosty morning air. "I'm coming." 


	26. Book of Souls

Chapter 26 Book of Souls  
  
  
  
Felicity groaned, and looked into the eyes of her very angry, and very pregnant mother. Cate's eyes were narrowed at her, and they flashed gold. "Crime and Punishment, Felicity." She said softly.  
  
Felicity clenched her teeth. She still had to clean the whole attic, because of her fun at Christmas. "You never had a punishment." She hissed at her mother. Cate's eyes flashed dangerously again, but she said nothing. "You should have gone to Azkaban. But you didn't. Grandfather was able to worm your way out of it, working up that STUPID story! You? Taken prisoner? Yeah, sure."  
  
Cate bit her lip. She pointed to the pearly marble stairs, and grabbed Felicity hard by the arm. "You're to clean our attic, Felicity." Cate pushed her towards the stairs, and Felicity stumbled. "And once you've finished that, you can clean the Black attic too. I'm sure Sirius would be happy to have such an eager participant." Cate usually didn't refer to Sirius as her father. She considered herself to have no parents, because they had never been parents to her. They were just Sirius and Lizzie.  
  
Felicity muttered foul words under her breath, and started up the stairs. Why were there so many stairs in the mansion, and why was she walking up them? Shaking her head at herself, she disappeared, and with a small 'pop' she appeared in the cluttered attic.  
  
"Would it kill any of them to be neat?" She sighed, looking at the mess. There were prank goods of every sort. She wrinkled her nose. Those sort of things didn't interest her in the slightest, and she thought it was all a waste of time.  
  
"Start now!" Cate yelled from outside the door. "Or you'll be here the rest of your life!" Felicity made a face. She highly doubted that. She knew one thing for certain... she wasn't even going to stay with her family the rest of her life. As soon as possible, she was going to get away from them all...   
  
~*~  
  
Paige yawned. It was too early for her to be awake. Yes, it was noon. But she couldn't fall back asleep. The light was shining through her window, and it irritated her.  
  
But it wasn't enough to get her out of bed. Pulling the covers over her head, she began to drift off again... Dreaming of peaceful things. Dreaming of how her life could be better... If she could only have Nita as a friend that was accepted by her mother...  
  
~*~  
  
"Ahhh!" Brynn shrieked, as a snowball hit her in the face. "Bryce Black, you're DEAD!" She yelled, packing a snowball with her hands. Without Bryce's knowing, she quickly whispered, "Soilidius," and chucked it at him. It hit him hard in the face, and he fell over, screaming about his nose being broken.   
  
"Brynn!" Lizzie shouted, from her chair of snow. She glared at Brynn, but behind her, Sirius was dancing around madly, giving her thumbs up. His dancing was disrupted shortly after; when Bridgett hit him in the face with a very well aimed throw.  
  
"Take that, dad!" She shouted, dancing around like he had been. "Bridgett Black, folks! Thrower of balled snow!"  
  
Hiding out in his own fort, not missed by any of the others, was Brian. He had about 50 snowballs, and little Brooke giggling at his side. "Hey, Brookie," he said. "You ready for this?" Brooke giggled, shouting nonsense words at him, waving her little arms about.  
  
Brian grinned, his eyes flashing gold. "Nah... We aren't ready. We need more snowballs. He pulled out his wand, and in a few minutes, there seemed to be about 300 snowballs. "Perfect!" He said happily, and rolled his eyes at Brooke, who was eating handfuls of snow.  
  
"Prepare to be amazed, pathetic family members!" He yelled, standing up and getting the rest of his family's attention. Brynn was trying to roll Bryce into a giant snowball, and Sirius had Lizzie pinned to the ground. On top of Sirius was Bridgett, who was shoving snow down his back. They all stared at him.  
  
Brian waved his arms, and added a flourish of his wand and... All of Hell seemed to have been let loose on the members of the Black family, as some odd hundred snowballs started to fly towards them. Sirius gave a scream, and rolled behind Lizzie. It didn't matter. Snowballs still flew towards him.  
  
Brynn had unrolled Bryce, and was using him as a shield, as he fought to get away, failing miserably, and getting hit in odd places as he squirmed. But Brynn gave a shriek, and pushed him forward. His face fell in the snow, and he didn't bother getting up. It wasn't worth it.  
  
"I am the Snowball KING!" Brian yelled, standing on the top of his fort. "MWAHHAHAHAHAH-- ahhh!!" He screamed, as the well caved in, and he landed on the soft snow. "Feel my wrath!" He screamed, sitting on the ground. Brooke giggled, and threw a small bit of snow at him. Brian sighed.  
  
As the barrage of snow ceased, five angry Blacks turned towards Brian and Brooke. Brian was still laughing insanely, while Brooke climbed behind the fallen snow fort. Brian didn't notice his huddled family was devising a plan against him, casting angry glances in his direction.  
  
After he was done laughing, he noticed the silence. Silence was eerie to him. His house was never silent, and his friends were never silent. The only sound was that of the snowman moving quickly toward him.  
  
Wait... It was MOVING? Brian shook his head and blinked, to make sure his eyes were working properly. Yup, it was moving towards him. For a few short moments, he sat there completely bewildered. Then the impulse to run grew, and he stood up and took off in a dead sprint.  
  
Sirius cackled, and gave Bridgett and Lizzie high fives. "Okay, Brinny and Bryce! Your turn with the little rascal!" Two pairs of eyes glinted gold, and the twins pulled out their wands. An assortment of oddly shaped snowballs appeared, and Sirius gave them an odd look.  
  
"We though it'd be fun to make them shaped. I can imagine the look on Brian's face when he's pelted with this here pretty daisy shaped snowball..." Bryce grinned, and with a flourish of his wand, the first batch of snowballs took off after Brian, who was already being chased by the Snowman.  
  
"I'm sorry!" He screamed, as he saw the snowballs flying in his direction. "Sorry!" It wasn't long until the snowballs caught up with him, and he was being pelted from behind. He could hear his family laughing.  
  
"You're only getting what you asked for!" Lizzie said.  
  
"Are you mental, mum?!" He screamed, dodging the snowman, and rolling on the ground. He picked himself up, and shouted back, "I didn't ask for this! If you cared to notice, my Christmas Wish List was completely different!"  
  
In the end, the snowman caught Brian. It had the advantage of not running out of breath. After being smothered by snow, and acquiring a case of frostbite... his family took the curse off, and they all went inside, with the disgruntled Brian...  
  
~*~  
  
"So... um," Alex started. "Where's your friend Brian?" She looked around the house. She heard someone yelling, and two people laughing. She assumed this was the Twins going after Nita again. She had learned all the Potter names, and was proud of herself.  
  
"At his house." Crystal answered. "He doesn't live here, or I think we'd all be insane." She paused for a moment. "I take that statement back. We all are insane. It'd just be even worse if Brian lived here."  
  
Alex and Aaron stared at Crystal. She had said that rather fast, and she grinned at the two of them. This was the strangest visit the two young American Muggles had even gone on. Aaron looked at Alex, and they shuddered.  
  
"Are we going to get to see him?" Alex asked, laughing shortly at the face Crystal made.  
  
"It would be nice if I weren't the only boy," added Aaron.  
  
"Sure." Crystal shrugged. "If you really wanna see Brian, it can be arranged..." She paused for a moment. She smiled, and said as knowledgeably as she possibly could, "I'll call him up. Wait here a second!"  
  
"Uh..." Was all Alex and Aaron could say before Crystal ran to another room. Neither had seen a telephone yet in the house. They still remembered the conversation they had overheard in America... But they didn't follow Crystal. They decided that they'd rather not know what she was really doing.  
  
"Hey Brian!" Crystal mind-waved him in the other room. "Remember our Muggle Friends from the United States?"  
  
"Uh..." Brian replied, as if this was very sudden, which it was. "Alex and Aaron? Why?"  
  
"Yup, yup, yup! They're here at my house!" Crystal chirped. "And they want to see you! Can't imagine why, but they do!"  
  
"Er..."  
  
"So you're going to come to my house."  
  
"I am?"  
  
"Yes. You are." Crystal ordered. "And no magic. We have to pretend we're Muggles too. I'm supposed to be calling you on the phone... So I locked myself in this here bathroom, so I could tell you to come over. Now- be at the door in 10 minutes. Knock. I'll answer. You come in. No magic."  
  
"Yes, Crystal, I know how to arrive at someone's house. I know how to knock. I can pretend to be a Muggle." Brian said irritably.  
  
"Well, you never can be to sure. See ya in a few!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Hey Brynn, what's our agenda when we go back to Hogwarts?" Bryce asked. The whole Black family was sitting in the large living room reading, talking, and carrying out their usual daily business, with the exception of Brian. He was on one of the upper floors nursing his frostbite.  
  
"Um... Lemme check." Brynn said, narrowing her eyebrows at the homework that sat on her lap. She grabbed her bag quickly, and started to dig through it. She pulled out a Dungbomb and shrugged. "So that's where that went!"  
  
"You stole my Dungbomb!" Bryce cut it. "That's mine!"  
  
"No, you threw yours in the Dungeons that time in Potions..." Brynn protested.  
  
"Oh... that's right." Bryce said, scratching his head.  
  
Brynn pulled out a black leather book, which seemed to be an assignment book or a day planner. She paged through it, and looked up at the rest of the family. "Wow! We've got a busy first week back!" She proclaimed. All of the family looked up at her. "First Monday back... Detention with Professor Snape!"  
  
"We really worked hard for that, dad." Bryce smiled. The twins enjoyed going to detentions. It was one of their hobbies, along with Mac and Ethan. But more than going to detention, they liked causing trouble to get there.  
  
"Tuesday... Detention with Snape!" Brynn squealed, delighted. "We just love that ugly old bat! Nothing delights us all more than the stench of the dungeons and the look of Snape's greasy hair on days when we could be running amuck, blissfully insane!"  
  
"I'm proud of you, children." Sirius said, patting Bryce on the back and grinning. Lizzie stared at him. "You learned well."  
  
"Wednesday!" Bryce said, hopping up and down. "What do we have Wednesday?!"  
  
"Wow! Extra Special! We have TWO detentions with Snape! One in the morning, and on in the late afternoon! He told us we get to clean the shelves! Then we get to scour rats' brains off the ceiling!"  
  
"Thursday?" Bridgett asked, eager for the time when she'd get her first detention with her least favorite Professor.  
  
"Hm..." Brynn said, reading off her planner again. "It seems that Snape and Trelawney will have to fight over who gets us for our 7:00 detention. We're doubled up. Or Mac and me can go to Trelawney, and Bryce and Eath can go to Snape. Or vice versa."  
  
"Nah. I'd rather we just let em' duke it out." Bryce said.  
  
"Friday!" Brynn squealed. "Is EXTRA special! We have a detention with McGonagall! Oh, how Lady Luck has graced us with her presence! McGonagall! We can get her to turn into a cat, and we'll have so much FUN! Maybe we can spend the night in her classroom, copying verses off the board and-"  
  
"McGonagall won't even bring you back to a detention once she's gone through one with you." Sirius laughed.  
  
"How do you know?" Bryce asked, his happy face falling. "We've REALLY been looking forward to it!"  
  
"Trust me. I went through something similar in my youth. McGonagall won't bring back obnoxious teenagers for a detention." Sirius nodded knowledgably.  
  
"Muuuuuummm!! DAAAAAAAD!" Brian yelling, sliding down the banister. "Can I go to Crystal's house? The Americans are there and they want me to come over."  
  
"Uh, sure Brian." Lizzie said. Sirius cackled behind her back.  
  
"Briiiiiiiiiian and the snowman, were jolly happy souls!" Sirius sang, to the tune of Frosty the Snowman. "The snowman chased him down and covered him with snow, and Brian got a frostbite!" It didn't rhyme, and was very badly put together, but Sirius didn't think that quickly. Apparently, he couldn't think of any words that rhymed with snow, so he substituted frostbite in instead.  
  
"Shut up, dad." Brian muttered. "You were the most scared when all the snowballs were coming after you."  
  
"Well... I'm going to go and chum around with the foreigners, thank you very much." Brian said, sticking his nose in the air. His face was entirely red, from the frostbite. So were his hands, his feet, his ears, his nose, his arms, and his butt. The bewitched snowman had put snow down the back of his pants. It wasn't pleasant.  
  
~*~  
  
Brian grumbled to himself, and knocked on the front door to the Potter house. He crossed his arms and waited for Crystal to answer the door. Getting impatient, he knocked again. Then he saw the doorbell...  
  
DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! Brian pressed it over and over again, hearing the noise inside, but not fully understanding the concept of a doorbell.  
  
"Brian Black!" Crystal yelled, her hands over her ears, as Alex pulled the door open. Brian stopped pressing the doorbell, and looked at Crystal. Crystal looked at him, and fell over laughing. Alex and Aaron were fighting a laugh themselves. "Who tried to turn you into a living hot dog?"  
  
"Very funny." Brian muttered. "Blame my family. And for your information... it's frostbite. I am not a hot dog. Nor do I like to think I look like one."  
  
After a while, Aaron pulled Crystal off the floor, and Brian shook his head. "You're pathetic. It isn't that funny." He sighed. "It was just about five against me an' Brooke in a giant snowball fight! And-"  
  
"Okie dokie, Brian!" Crystal said quickly, not wanting him to spill the magic bens. She knew he would have said something that obviously would not exist in the Muggle world. Such as living snowmen.  
  
The look that Crystal threw at Brian would have made him blush, but that was virtually impossible since he was already a brilliant reddish pink color. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, then smiled at the Muggles.  
  
"So Aaron and Alex!" He said, clapping his hands together, and wincing in pain. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! OW!" He paused, and took a breath as they stared at him. "So how are you two? School going well? Did you take the yellow bread loaf to get there?"  
  
"Uh. The school bus. Yes." Alex answered. "You British have an interesting vocabulary." She looked at Aaron, pretending not to know exactly how weird she knew Crystal and Brian were.  
  
"Oh look," Crystal said. "Brian's Blushing! I think he likes you, Alex!" Brian gave Crystal his best 'Death Glare' and refrained himself from hitting her. It would cause him more pain than it would her.  
  
"Let's go do something." Brian sighed. "I'm sick of standing here."  
  
"Yeah, maybe we should." Crystal said, a serious look returning to her face. "Or our radish might grow roots."  
  
"Not funny, Crys!" Brian stuck his tongue out at her, and Crystal laughed, leading them off to do something a little more entertaining for all four of them.  
  
~*~  
  
"Happy Anniversary." Cate whispered to Bellum. "Seventeen years, and we love each other more each day." Cate smiled, and let her eyes shine. The candlelight wasn't as bright as the light she seemed to be giving off. Her upper back length hair fanned out behind her as she looked at Bellum.  
  
"Seems like seven seconds." Bellum said, smiling back at his wife. Life goes quickly when you're with those that you love." Both Cate and Bellum sighed.  
  
"Too quickly." Cate said. "I'm glad though, that you're here for our Anniversary. If you weren't here, I doubt I'd be alive still. But I wish I could touch you one last time. That would be better than any gift in the world. When I got your package, I knew all you wanted was for me to be happy. But I can't be happy without you. Your gifts were amazing, but all I wanted at that moment was you. I suppose I wanted myself too. When you died, you took my heart with you."  
  
"You kept mine." Bellum said. "From the moment I first saw you, my heart belonged to you. I was afraid you'd take it far away and never return it to me." He paused, and looked into Cate's eyes. He could see his own reflection, and nothing else was reflected. "But that's a risk you have to take when you love someone. It can either be the best thing that ever happened, or it can scar you for life."  
  
"But the scars heal." Cate added. "They heal, yet they're still there. I'll never forget losing you. Everything inside me shattered, like delicate glass. But it's been put back together. Together again, but the cracks still show. Our kids will never lead normal lives. Neither will we. But as long as we've got each other, we'll be happy."  
  
"When I was alive..." Bellum trailed off. But he started again, "I'd stay awake just to hear you breathe. I'd watch your chest rise and fall, and it was so peaceful. I always wondered what you dreamt about. Every so often, you'd smile. I hoped I was the cause of that smile. I hoped that I was in your dreams, when you weren't awake. I'd stay up for hours upon hours, while you slept, just watching you. I didn't want to miss anything. You're so beautiful, Cate. I can still watch you for hours, just like when I first met you."  
  
"Sometimes I'd do the same," confessed Cate softly. "I'd never even loved anyone before. It's a strong emotion. I also expected you to leave me alone. That's what everyone did. Left me."  
  
"Even if I wanted to, I could never leave you." Bellum floated closer to her. The golden necklace around her neck caught his eye and he smiled again. "I'm glad to see you've been wearing it. It belonged to my mother. It's the only thing I have that belonged to her. But I love to see you wearing it..."  
  
Cate looked at him, hoping he'd tell her more. He'd never told her how his parents died, or even their names. Cate had a strong feeling that it was somehow too painful for him to recall, so she didn't put him through the stress of telling her. She didn't need to know. She watched as a sad look crossed his face, but when he looked at her again, the happiness returned.  
  
"I love you." Cate said softly. "With all my heart and soul. So now I'll give you my gift. It's all I could do, Bellum. You gave me something close to you, and in return I'm giving you part of me.  
  
Opening the drawer in the nightstand, Cate pulled out the jewelry box he had given her. For a few moments, she held it, looking at the beautiful polished wooden frame, then she opened it. Soft music played, and a mist floated around them both. Cate's eyes closed, and she seemed to go into a trance.  
  
Bellum felt differently immediately. He saw color returning to his body, and his clothes... But he was still a ghost. But now he was a transparent colored ghost. Cate opened her eyes and looked at him. She glowed brighter, and smiled.  
  
"Your eyes are deep brown again." She breathed, watching him closely. "Your hair is dark again..."  
  
"And my white robes are stained with red blood." Bellum noticed.  
  
"It doesn't matter." Cate smiled. "You seem more real. It's a comfort to me that I just didn't dream you came back."  
  
Bellum smiled too. He felt better now. He saw his reflection again in Cate's eyes and this time he looked like himself. "How'd you conjure this?" He asked.  
  
"I found a Potion in an old forgotten book. It was simple enough to make, but I had to part with a part of my soul. So if you have a sudden desire to play Quidditch, you can blame that on the part of me that's just in you now." Cate paused. "Which reminds me... Quidditch. I'm not going to play anymore. I'm going to raise my family now, and make sure nothing happens. I just want to be with all of you now. That's more important to me than Quidditch."  
  
"But Cate you-"  
  
"No. I don't want to play. I've had a good career. The whole world knows who I am, and that's more than enough. Besides, the press will lay off a bit more on us. Now what was that French phrase you always used to use before we went to sleep?"  
  
"Je t'aime." Bellum smiled. "I love you."  
  
"Je t'aime," Cate repeated, not pronouncing the French correctly.  
  
"Bonne nuit." Bellum said in French. "That means goodnight."  
  
~*~  
  
A young man and a young woman sat at a small dinner table with their young son. The woman had long wavy brown hair that shone against the light. She was pretty, and her hazel green eyes gazed lovingly at her husband and son.  
  
Her husband held their son in his lap. His hair was such a dark brown that it was almost black, and his eyes were deep brown, like polished wood. He looked like he was Italian and German, mixed together. The little boy had brown hair too, but his wasn't as dark as his father's or as light as his mother's. His eyes were deep brown, and they were full of delight as he waved his father's wand, which was emitting red sparks.  
  
The husband took his wife's hand and kissed it, saying something to her in a foreign language, and she responded with more soft words, though she sounded different than he did speaking it, as if it were not her native language.  
  
"He'll have someone to play with." The woman smiled, switching to English. Her voice had a strong British accent, and it was soft and soothing.  
  
"Which iz great, since there iz no one for him around 'ere. Ze little girl at ze bottom of zey hill can't play wiz im'." The man's accent was definitely French, there was no doubt about that. But he didn't look French at all.  
  
"Do you hope we have a boy or girl?" The woman asked eagerly. Her eyes were full of happiness, and she squeezed his hand, watching the child they already had.  
  
"Either iz fine wiz me," said the man, grinning. "But I 'ope for both."  
  
He kissed her hand again, and let it go. His wife took a bite of her dinner, and suddenly her eyes closed, and the fork dropped to the wooden floor, clattering. The man's face suddenly fell, and he looked at her with worry. A few seconds later, her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped.  
  
"They are coming." Was all she said. He husband stood up, picking the boy up with him. He looked out the window, at an American sunset, which was nearly behind the hills and the trees. "They are coming."  
  
"Take 'im!" The man said, handing her the boy. "Zey can't kill you, I won't let zem! Not wiz a baby on ze way! Tiira, listen to me. Run. Take ze boy and run."  
  
"But I can't let them kill you!" Tiira, his wife, protested. "No! They want me, and if they get me, they'll leave you alone! You go! All I want is for you and our son to be safe."  
  
The man looked desperately around. "No." He said firmly. "You're responsible for more zan one person now. Prenezle garcon et allez, je t'aime!"  
  
Tiira closed her eyes for a few seconds and when she opened them, they were full of tears. "You're right. I love you, Venire." She said. "Remember that. Never forget it. I love you, Venire. I married you 5 years ago, and nothing has changed." She leaned forward and kissed him. Their young son, who looked about four years old, was rested on her hip, and he seemed to feel something going on. As his parents pulled away from each other, letting go, he began to cry. "Shush!" His mother said softly. Tell daddy you love him."  
  
"I love you daddy!" He said, with no certain accent of his own. With that, his mother fled out the back door, running down the hill... The man watched her for a moment, and wiped a tear from his eye. Then he closed his eyes, and his form slowly melted into that of his wife. He'd transformed himself into her.  
  
The door broke down, and he faced seven men and women. A blonde man with bright light blue eyes that darted around the room led them. At his side stood a woman with white-blonde hair. She was tall, and her eyes were a stunning green. All of the seven faced Venire, not knowing who he was.  
  
"Tiira," said the man in front. His accent sounded French as well, but it wasn't as heavy as Vernire's. His lips had formed a scowl. "I've waited forever for this. You're cornered, and you can't get yourself out of this. Tonight you die. Ten long years of hunting you down, and now I've got you. Not only that, but I know how to kill you."  
  
Venire glared at the man. The man truly believed he was his wife. "You'll never win, Vir." He said. His French accent was gone, and he sounded exactly like Tiira.  
  
Vir, the blonde man, grinned. He put his arm around the blonde woman at his side and grinned a nasty grin. "I'll admit that I'll never have power like yours. You'll always be greater. But I know how to get rid of you. Then I'll get rid of your family."  
  
It began to rain. Thunder was heard, and there was a visible crack of lightning. The group shifted uncomfortably, with the exception of Vir and his blonde wife. Vir stared at Venire with a disgusted look on his face.  
  
Venire had never taken the form of his wife often, and he wasn't used to it. He flexed his fingers, moving them around, as if controlling something. He looked at the group facing him, and the windows suddenly shattered.  
  
"I'm not going to play games. I'll just kill you quickly, Tiira." Vir said. "Or you can give yourself up and join us."  
  
"Never!" Venire shouted. He raised his arms, and a blast of lightning shot through the broken windows, striking a few members of the group. Three of them fell to a heap on the floor, dead. Venire bit his lip (or rather, Tiira's lip).  
  
Vir's eyes flashed suddenly, and he spat on the ground. "I should have seen that coming. I've got to quit the small talk." His wife was shaking nervously at his side, and clutching his sleeve.  
  
Quicker than Venire could act, Vir pulled a gun from his pocket, and shot it quickly at him. The bullet made contact with Venire, hitting him in the stomach. He coughed up a bit of blood, and started to fade back into himself.  
  
"Venire!" Vir spat. "You damn shape-shifters!" He shot the gun again, and Venire, now completely in his own form again, fell to the floor. Venire scowled, and kicked him hard. "All I wanted was your wife."  
  
Struggling to keep alive, Venire raised a hand, and lightning flashed again. But before he could open his hand, Vir took a final shot at him with his gun, and watched as Venire's hand dropped, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his breathing ceased.  
  
"He's dead." Vir announced to the remaining members of the group. Spitting on Venire's body, and giving it one last kick, he tucked the gun away. "Now we have to find the wife and their boy."  
  
He looked at the other three with him, and wrinkled his nose at the dead ones. Shaking his head, the small group parted as he walked between them, and out the door. They followed him hastily, in search of Tiira and the little boy...  
  
~*~  
  
The small boy watched, as his mother moaned in pain. She fell to her knees, as if she had been shot. "Mummy?" The boy asked, looking at her in desperate wonder. They were both soaking wet.  
  
Tiira closed her eyes, and stood up. Her eyes filled with tears, and she took her son in her arms and started to run again. "Mummy, where's daddy?" The boy asked her.  
  
"Daddy's gone to Heaven, honey." She said. "But he still loves you very much." Deciding the little boy was too heavy to carry, she set him down on the ground, and kneeled down by him. "Do you understand? We're in danger. They're trying to get mummy. They've got your daddy. We have to run. Can you run fast?"  
  
The boy nodded, not fully understanding. He was only four, and this seemed like a game of hide and seek to him. But his mother took his hand, and they ran down the big hill that they had climbed.  
  
Tiira stopped suddenly again, only to close her eyes. Her son tugged at her robes, and she opened her eyes again, looking around desperately. Her eyes rested on a large rock in the trees, and she pulled her son towards it.  
  
"Honey, can you hide here?" She asked. The boy nodded again. "Stay behind the rock. They're coming. Listen, baby. Mummy loves you, and she needs you to hide here. You'll be safe. Whatever happens, don't come out from behind here. I love you sweetheart." She gathered her son in her arms, and kissed his forehead, her eyes filling with tears. Smoothing out his dark brown hair, and kissed him again, then she left him.  
  
The little boy sat down on the ground, and brought his knees to his chest, crying silently. His mother and father had just gone away. Didn't they love him? They were going to have a new baby. Didn't they want him anymore?  
  
It had stopped raining. He stood up, and peered around the rock. His mother looked ready, and she was looking around frantically. Then she focused her gaze on a group of people moving towards her. They were huddled together, discussing something.  
  
Atop the hill, Tiira stood, awaiting her fate. Slowly, the people moved closer and closer, until they were facing her. Like he'd done earlier, Vir grinned his wiry evil grin, staring at her.  
  
"Finally, Tiira." He said. "I killed your husband. Now I finish you off, and take your son. Mors Vox wants him. The boy is special to him. So are you. He needs someone with such power. You've got the power, and you can control it. Join us, Tiira. You'll be great. Again."  
  
"Never." Tiira hissed. Her hazel green eyes were looking directly into Vir's light blue ones, telling him quite plainly he could never convince her to join him. "I'd die, rather than join you."  
  
"Then so be it. You'll die." Vir shouted. There was screaming in the background, from someplace else. "Just like your husband. You'll take your death like he did."  
  
Tiira's eyes flashed. She pointed a finger at his wife, and the woman screamed, twitching violently. Still pointing a finger, Tiira raised her eyebrows and looked at Vir. "Leave now, or I'll kill her."  
  
Vir seemed torn between saving his wife, and leaving his enemy behind, alive. He looked back and forth between the two. No answer came to him, and he pulled the gun. But Tiira was quicker than he was. The gun flew to her free hand as soon as Vir had pulled it out.  
  
"Then I take it that was your decision." Tiira said, and she suddenly pointed the finger pointed at his wife to the ground. The screaming woman fell down, dead. Tiira cast a sharp gaze towards Vir and the others. "I think this is between me and you." She said, looking at him.  
  
She tucked the gun into her pocket, and looked at the three that remained of the Seven original. Two men stood behind Vir, as if trying to take shelter. "Between me and you." Tiira reappeared. Holding up both her hands, and moving her fingers ever so slightly, she forced the two men to step forward.  
  
"Aren't you going to try and stop me, Vir?" She asked. Vir was shaking in rage. "Or can't you? Have you no power?" Though she didn't show it, Tiira was afraid. She knew that not all of them would live. She had to narrow the chances to between she and Vir.  
  
Bringing her hands together, a bright light shot out, and the two men fell dead at Vir's side. "Now the fight's a little more fair." She said. "Just you and me."  
  
"The way it was 11 years ago." Vir said softly. He didn't dare move. He had two options. He could defend himself or kill Tiira. He couldn't do both. He had not the power to do both.  
  
Tiira couldn't do both, either. But Vir didn't know this. He flicked his wand, and the gun flew to his hand. This time he was quicker than Tiira. Or was he? Tiira had her hands raised, and a gold light was moving towards Vir. Both were going to die.  
  
"Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!" The little boy shouted, closing his eyes, and standing up. "Mummy! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He wailed, rushing to the hill as fast as he possibly could.  
  
  
  
As the boy looked around, he found that nothing was moving. His mother was frozen in midair, falling backwards. The bullet had hit her chest, and there was splattering blood that was also frozen in mid air. He looked around again.  
  
Vir was also frozen, his mouth open in the middle of a scream. His hair was standing on end, and the light around him was still just like the rest of the scenery. He looked totally petrified; afraid to die. His mother, however, looked ready for it.  
  
The boy was the only thing moving. Had he done his? Had he put a stopper in time? He was crying loudly, sniffling. He looked at the frozen figures in the air again, and time unfroze. Both Tiira and Vir fell to the ground, lifeless.  
  
"Mummy," the boy cried, hurrying over to his mother's body. He dropped to his knees at her side. She was still alive. She smiled at him. With the little strength she had left, she put something golden in his hand. Then her eyes rolled back, and closed. Her hand fell limp, and the boy stared at her, tucking his gift in his pocket.  
  
For a few minutes, he rested his head on his mother's chest, crying. "Wake up mum." He said. "Mummy! Wake up!" He gave Tiira's body a shake. "I'm scared!"  
  
There was a blood-curling scream heard from someplace else, and at the bottom of the hill, there was a flash of green light. He heard a child scream, and saw another flash. Then he heard a man's scream, and the child wailing madly.  
  
"Wake up." He said to his mother. "I love you!" Then he realized his mother wasn't going to wake up. She was dead. He looked to his left, and saw his large gray house at the very top of the other hill, looking just as it always had. He saw his, and thought of how his parents had pushed him, and how happy it had been. He'd never be pushed on that swing set again.  
  
So for the moment, he curled up next to his mother, and drifted lowly off to sleep....  
  
~*~  
  
Cate screamed, and woke with a start. She sat up quickly, breathing heavily. A candle was lit, and she faced her ghostly husband's figure in front of her.  
  
"What is it, Cate?" He asked frantically. "Bad dream?"  
  
Cate nodded. "Yes. This one was different. I wasn't in it. I'm sure this was a dream of the past. But all the ones I've had before have involved me. This one didn't."  
  
Bellum bit his lip, and looked at her. "Tell me about your dream." He said. "Maybe it'll make things easier."  
  
"Well," Cate started. "There was a man, woman, and a little boy. The man's name was Venire, and the woman's was Tiira. I don't know the little boy's name. They were eating dinner, and discussing if they wanted their new baby to be a boy or girl." Cate took a deep breath and continued on. "Then the woman closed her eyes, and said something like, 'They're coming!' and they gathered the little boy, and the woman and the boy fled. The man transformed into his wife, and Seven people broke down the door. The leader's name was Vir. The man named Venire killed three of his cohorts with a strike of lightning, and the Vir talked some, and killed him. Then the man changed back into his own form, and Vir and the remaining members of the group went looking for his wife and the boy. The woman, Tiira, hid the little boy, and fought with Vir and killed his wife and the other two men. Then they killed each other. But the little boy somehow stopped time. Everything was frozen in its place, and the little boy looked around. He looked so much like Ethan when he was little that I feel so bad for him. When time unfroze, he went to his mother, and she died. He old her to wake up, and realized she would never wake up. Then he just sat there, and he fell asleep, curled up next to her."  
  
Cate wiped a tear from her eye, and looked at Bellum. He seemed to have faded in color, and his jaw was dropped. He didn't say anything right away, but wiped a tear from his own eye. "It was just a bad dream." He managed to say after a bit. "You don't have to worry about it."  
  
"Yes I do!" Cate objected. "I know the place where they were killed! I know the scenery. I lived around there when I was little. I used to climb that hill when I was six or seven to escape from my life. I'd sit at that very spot, and everything felt better. That's where those people were. I know that dream's got something to do with me, but I just can't figure out what."  
  
"Cate dear, I don't know." Bellum said. "But you should go back to sleep. I've got a feeling that getting very little sleep isn't especially good for pregnant women. We'll talk about it in the morning."  
  
Cate nodded. "I guess you're right." She lie back down, and fell asleep almost instantly. Bellum looked around the room, and he faded out of view, as the candle went out.  
  
~*~  
  
'Paige!' Nita mind-waved Paige. 'I need your help.' She wandered around without her glasses. This was because of the simple fact that her glasses were tied to a string, and were dangling around in front of her, but everything was too blurry for her to see. At the top of the stairs, Jo and Jess controlled the string, and were laughing at Nita.  
  
  
  
'I'm kinda busy now.' Paige responded. 'It's my turn to watch Jack.'  
  
  
  
'Can't you just help me quickly?' Nita asked desperately. 'The twins have my glasses, and they won't give them back.'  
  
"Oh... Nita." Paige sighed, and she appeared beside Nita, with Jack in her arms. Quickly, before the twins could respond, she snatched the glasses, and pulled the string down. She untied Nita's glasses and gave them back to her.  
  
"Thanks." Nita said, putting them back on, glad to see clearly again. Paige set Jack down and glared up at the twins.  
  
"Leave her alone, or you'll have to deal with both of us!" Paige growled at them.  
  
"We don't care," said Jess.  
  
"We get our powers soon anyhow." Jo finished.  
  
"Well I've all ready got powers!" Paige said, putting her hands on her hips. "And if you tell anyone I've been here, I'll use them on you!"  
  
The twins looked at each other, and scuttled off. Nita smiled, and looked at Paige. "Really? You've got powers?"  
  
Paige made an interesting face. "Not really." She shrugged. "Just a few, but I don't use them. But I don't get the good ones until I'm older. At least I think that's the deal..."  
  
"Well, I don't think the twins will say anything." Nita said. "I think you scared them."  
  
"I hope so." Paige smiled. "But I'd better get going. Where did Jack go?"  
  
The two girls looked at each other. "Uh oh..." They both said. Nita grabbed Paige's sleeve and led her down the hall. "How far could he have gotten?" She asked.  
  
"Um... I don't think he could have gone too far." Paige answered. "But he never ceases to amaze me. Are your parents home?"  
  
"No." Nita said. "I think they went someplace with Uncle Mark."  
  
"Good. I don't want them to see me... they might mention something to my mum."  
  
Nita really didn't think it would be good if her mother knew she was best friend's with Cate's daughter, either. She looked into the living room. Jack wasn't there. She shook her head.  
  
Then from another room in the opposite direction, they heard a scream. It was a boy's scream. "Neil." Nita said. "I bet he's found Jack." Paige beat her to the room Neil was in, and there was Jack, sitting on the floor, tossing things at him.  
  
"What is this little monstrosity?" He yelled, looking at Paige with interest. "And what are YOU doing here?"  
  
"That's my brother, and that's none of your business." Paige said shortly. "And we must be going." She scooped Jack up, and disappeared with him. Neil looked at Nita.  
  
"I'll just pretend that didn't happen. I don't want to know why she was here, and why the little baby boy was either." He walked away, rubbing his head, muttering something about being hit with a paperweight.  
  
Nita shrugged, and went to find a hiding spot from the twins... She didn't want to get more questions about Paige. She knew for one thing that the Hall Closet was off- limits fro a hiding spot. Perhaps the food pantry would be a good spot...  
  
~*~  
  
"What was all that noise?" Crystal asked Nita. Her American friends had gotten hungry. "And why are you in the pantry?"  
  
"Jo and Jess." Nita said. "Twinkie?" She handed crystal a box of Twinkies and smiled brightly at them.  
  
Crystal sighed, and shook her head. "If you don't remember... this is Nita." Nita waved to Alex and Aaron, who looked quite befuddled. "What did you do to Neil?" She asked. "He's got a large bump on his head. He said I could ask you."  
  
"Um... I hit him with a paperweight." She lied. "But... Oh well. He'll live. But I think I'm gonna go, and I'll leave you four to work it all out." Nita looked at Brian. "Nice frostbite, by the way." With that, she walked away, leaving Brian to grumble about it to his friends.  
  
~*~  
  
Cate felt especially sleepy today, so she'd gone to take a nap. Bellum floated around the room without her knowing, as if her were pacing. He wondered if Cate was having another dream.  
  
Cate didn't know if she was dreaming or not. She was hearing voices. It was a soft voice, but it wasn't the least bit comforting. The Book of Souls is nearly full. It can hold one more. And you know what that means, Cate. Yes, you know. It means that all the souls in the book are gone. They disappear, never to be seen again. Then the book is empty again. But I can't take you. It said. No... Because YOU own the book. But I can take- -  
  
"Bellum!" Cate yelled, jumping out of bed. Bellum stopped floating around, and flew to her side.  
  
The Book of Souls is nearly full... The voice said again. Then all in it shall perish. Even a GHOST!  
  
"Do you hear it?" Cate asked Bellum.  
  
"Hear what?" Bellum asked.  
  
"The voice!" Cate shrieked like she was insane. "It's talking about The Book of Souls."  
  
"Calm down, Cate." Bellum said slowly. "I can't hear it."  
  
There was a small noise, and a large brown book with Ancient lettering appeared near the window. It read, Book of Souls on the front. Cate screamed, and made a mad grab for it, but her hand went through it. The book opened up to the very last page. Written in a thin loopy hand was, Bellum Pugnare.  
  
Like a funnel, Bellum was being sucked towards the book. He was meeting another end. Cate shrieked loudly, screaming she loved him. Before Bellum was completely sucked it he said, "Take care of Faye, Cate. Take care of yourself. I love you!"  
  
The book slammed shut and disappeared. Cate was breathing heavily now, and her eyes were nearly purely gold. Clenching her fists, she looked out the window, at the snow. "Dolere." She breathed. "I still haven't kept my promise to kill you."  
  
Wiping a tear from her eye, she stormed out of the room. "Children!" She yelled loudly. She snapped her fingers, and four bewildered Pugnare kids appeared in front of her.  
  
"Mum?" Ethan asked. "Are you okay?"  
  
"No!" Cate hissed. "Dolere's taken your father. Are you familiar with the Book of Souls?"  
  
Felicity and Ethan nodded. "People are kept in a book, in its pages. When it's full, the people are killed, and never seen again." Ethan explained shortly to Paige.  
  
"I used to have one." Cate said. "It belongs to me, but Dolere's used it. Your father was taken in. The book has carried out its purpose now, and he's gone."  
  
Everyone but Jack stared at Cate in horror. Paige began to sob, and she wrapped her arms around her mother. Ethan picked Jack off the floor, and pushed Felicity forward. Soon they were all in a big group hug, all sobbing hysterically.  
  
"If I don't come back, avenge my death." Cate said. Ethan's jaw dropped.  
  
"NO! You AREN'T going!"  
  
"Yes I am." Cate said would have said this sternly, but she sniffled. "Tell you grandfather where I've gone."  
  
The kids backed up, and Cate closed her eyes. For a few long minutes they watched her stand, with her hands together. Then she disappeared. Ethan jetted down the stairs with Jack, followed by Felicity and Paige.  
  
"Dammit! We're going to end up orphans!" He said.  
  
~*~  
  
Cate was in what seemed to be a maze of tunnels. It was dark, and looked as if it were underground. This was the alternative to her appearing trick. She didn't know where Dolere was, but she did know that he hiding place blocked her powers. This was the only way for her to get there.  
  
Muttering strange words under her breath, Cate clenched her fists as the tunnels began to spin. They span until one tunnel was directly in front of her. Cate looked around, and stepped into it.  
  
It was the correct tunnel, and she appeared right in front of Dolere once she reach the end. Dolere's jaw dropped, and she gasped. "You aren't supposed to be able to get here!" She hissed.  
  
"Did you really think I wasn't going to keep my promise?" Cate said. She showed no emotion. He face was stern, and her voice was cold and hard. "Of course you didn't. But all your precautions can't keep me away. You shouldn't have meddled in my affairs. You know very well that you have no amount of power that can match mine."  
  
Dolere looked at Cate, her light blue eyes filled with fear. She pushed a strand of platinum blonde hair from her face, and looked at Cate.  
  
"Don't even think about trying to get me with a knife." Cate said, snapping her fingers, as the knife Dolere was fingering appeared in her own hands. "You can't get me with magic, either. Tough situation, isn't it?"  
  
Cate circled around her. "But I'm not going to talk to you. You know why I'm here. You deserve not a second more of life. But your death can't be quick and painful. You killed my husband. Now I'm going to kill you."  
  
Dolere watched Cate sharply. Nothing in her body was working. Cate grinned a nasty grin, and waved her hand. Dolere screamed, as a long cut appeared down her arm. Cate narrowed her eyebrows, and waved her hand again.  
  
This time, boils covered Dolere's face. With another wave of Cate's hands, Dolere fell to the ground, twitching in pain. "It doesn't even take the Crucio curse to hurt you." Cate sneered. "My magic is far beyond the mere curses. But since your specialty is PAIN... I think you deserve a little treat."  
  
Cate snapped her fingers, and the pain was gone. "Does that feel good?" Cate asked Dolere. "It does, doesn't it?" She snapped her fingers again, and Dolere felt the pain return, and it hurt even more this time.  
  
Cate still circled around her, like a vulture. Her eyes were still nearly gold, and they darted all around the room, watching. With every move she made, Dolere felt more pain. It was unbearable, and she wanted to die, for the first time. But such was luck for her... Cate planned on torturing her for a good while.  
  
Dolere felt as if her skin was being peeled off, and she could see the blood that was coming from her. This was easy for Cate! It wasn't fair! Cate had been reading her thoughts.  
  
"It's all fair in the end, Dolere." She said smoothly. "You messed with me. I let you go idle for so long. You knew it though, that you were bidding your time."  
  
Dolere tried to reply, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out but blood. Cate grinned, and laughed aloud. Every once of her was enjoying this. All her pain and suffering was being unleashed. It felt good. It felt good to watch someone else suffer.  
  
"I think that's enough." Cate said finally. Dolere was a bloody mess, and was unable to even move. "I'll kill you the way you killed Bellum." Cate said. She picked up the knife, and knelt down by Dolere. A bloody hand tried to grab her arm, but was too weak. Cate slashed her with the knife, and Dolere's arm fell back to her body. "This is the end." Cate said.  
  
She slit her neck, and watched in delight as Dolere's bloodshot eyes rolled back and closed. Grinning madly, she stood up and looked at Dolere. "And so you die."  
  
Cate watched the blood flowing out. Then she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. "You enjoyed that," said an eerie high pithed voice. "You enjoyed killing her."  
  
Cate wheeled around, and faced Voldemort. "What's it to you?" She spat. "This was part of your plan... wasn't it!"  
  
"Not at all, my daughter." Voldemort said. Cate winced at the word daughter. "I told her not to. But she did not heed me, and I let her die."  
  
"I'm no one's child." Cate said. "So you sacrificed your right hand. You let her die. How kind you are to your followers."  
  
"You're the only one I want." He said, starting to pace the room. "We can get along again. We'll rule the world."  
  
"No." Cate said shortly. "I have no desire for that. I've got a family now."  
  
"Ah, but that's my point." Voldemort grinned. "They're never safe there. Out in the world. I can assure their safety. I can also give you back what you want."  
  
Cate gasped, and her eyes flashed again. He mouth was open as she looked at Voldemort in wonder. "No you can't." She said. "There's no way to get back the lost souls in the book. You can't trick me."  
  
"But the souls go into the book have to go somewhere, don't they? I know where they go, and I know how to get them back. I have you that book. I had it for years, and I know all the secrets of it. I can get you your husband. All you have to do is join me again. This situation works all in your favor, Cate."  
  
Cate was torn between everything at the moment. She didn't know what to do. More than anything, she wanted Bellum back. It was all he heart desired, to have her family safe. She rubbed her temples, and looked at her growing stomach.  
  
"But I'm pregnant. You remember how the pregnant situation worked out last time." She said, more to herself than to Voldemort. "I can't handle the stress."  
  
"Then after you have your baby!" Voldemort said. His red snake-like eyes stared at Cate. "You can join me, and I'll bring him back."  
  
"No." Cate said. "Bring him back first. So I know you're not lying."  
  
"Have I ever lied to you personally? I kept all my promises. I love you like my own daughter. I love you more than my own daughters. I'll keep my promise, if you keep yours."  
  
He put out a hand, and looked Cate in the eyes. Her eyes were simply deep brown, no flecks of gold shone. "Everything you want." He repeated. "You can be happy.  
  
Cate said nothing. Was it everything she wanted? She wouldn't spend the rest of her life alone. She'd have Bellum. She'd have her children. That was all she wanted. She had given up Quidditch to spend her life with her family. But was it worth the price?  
  
Slowly, Cate extended her hand too, and she shook his hand. His white-ish skin was cold, and his eyes flashed in delight. "The Dark Angel of Light is back."   
  
~*~  
  
Felicity rubbed her temples. Her mother had come back late at night, and wasn't talking. She was silent, and sat on the couch with Sirius, shaking violently. The rest of her family was in the living room with her, along with Sirius and Lizzie.  
  
As far as she was concerned, her mother was mad. Tossing some useless piece of junk in a box, she sighed. She had gone to clean the attic, so she could be alone. But somehow, he didn't feel alone. The attic was still too cluttered.  
  
About to throw a small golden mirror in a box, something inscribed on the back caught her eye. It was written in a different language; Latin. Her father had taught her Latin, along with French, and a small bit of Italian and German.  
  
"Desire to be another is shown." She translated aloud. "The Mirror Ount."  
  
She turned it around, and rubbed the dust off it on her sweater. Looking in it, curious to see what it did, she nearly dropped it. Instead of her reflection looking back at her, she saw her mother's. It wasn't her mother now, but it was her mother when she had been evil.  
  
Felicity looked around. She felt slightly claustrophobic with all the junk around her. "Where can I go?" She asked herself. "Hmm..." She disappeared from the attic, and appeared on a platform in the sky. There was a roof on it, but there was no railing. It was like a gazebo in the sky.  
  
It was perfect. There was no emptier place. The clouds were around her, and she could see the stars perfectly. It would have been the best place to be alone, except for that fact that there was another person there.  
  
The person jumped, and so did Felicity. The other person was a boy. Felicity stepped closer. He was a skinny boy, with black hair and glasses. "Neil Potter?" She said, in surprise. Felicity felt a sudden desire to push him off the edge.  
  
"Uh..." Neil sputtered. "Felicity Pugnare?" He stepped back, nearly too far. He'd almost stepped off the edge.  
  
Felicity walked to his other side. Neil stared at her. The moonlight bounced off her skin. She scared him. She swayed uneasily, and gave a low moan. Dropping the item she held in her hand, her eyes closed. She was going to faint!  
  
Not thinking about who she was, he leaped forward and hooked his hands around her waist before she fell off the edge. He groaned, and dragged her to the center of the platform, where she couldn't fall off. He laid her head gently on the floor. Her hair was soft. If he woke her up, would she try to hurt him?  
  
He found that she wasn't breathing. Looking around frantically, he realized there was no one he could call for help. Mouth to Mouth? He lifted her head up slightly and freaked out. No! He wasn't going that close to her face. He was all ready too close to Felicity for his tastes.  
  
"Ennervate!" He said, thinking quickly. Felicity's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him. The back of her head was still resting on his hand. She pushed him away. "Er..." Neil sputtered. "What jut happened? You passed out."  
  
"Stupid Founding Four!" Felicity muttered. "They have a way of making me pass out in certain situations where I'm feeling murderous, angry, sad, sometimes happy, or depressed."  
  
"Um," Neil said stupidly. He backed away, feeling slightly uneasy. This really hadn't been his day... "What was the cause this time?"  
  
"I was thinking about pushing you off the edge." Felicity shrugged. Neil laughed uneasily, as if it were a joke. "I was serious." She said, glaring at him.  
  
"Oh." Neil said, wishing now that he hadn't woke her up. He could have gotten away... But now he felt the best thing he could do was make small talk or something and get her mind off the subject. Maybe she'd let him go. "So, er- what brings you here?"  
  
"I wanted to get away from my family." She answered. "My parents brought me here once. So I figured it would be a nice escape."  
  
"Same deal with me." Neil said. "My parents took me here when I was little. "My house is just a little too crowded now."  
  
"Mine is too empty, but the people in it... Well, I can't take it." She burst out into tears suddenly. "My dad's gone again, and my mum's going crazy again. My older brother is trying to act like an adult, and my little sister is bawling constantly. The baby doesn't have a clue, he just knows that daddy's gone and that's a good enough reason to cry. My grandparents are over, trying to comfort everyone, but they can't!"  
  
Neil stared at her. Felicity put her face in her hands and sobbed. Neil didn't feel like telling her about his experience earlier with her younger brother and sister. He put his arm out, as if to pat her on the back, but he drew it back. But not knowing what to do, he put his hand out again and patted her back quickly.  
  
"It's okay." He said, feeling rather stupid. "At least there aren't a bunch of Muggles at your house, you can't do magic around them, and you don't have a large bump on your head. Your bed sheets aren't trying to smother you, and you're afraid to go to sleep at night."  
  
Felicity looked up at him. "Get new bed sheets." She said. "Get ice for your head. You can heal those wounds." Neil sighed.  
  
"It's not that simple, but I wish it were. Every bed I sleep in, it's there, it's like heavy velvet, trying to smother me. It feels clammy, and I can't cry for help."  
  
"Sounds like a Lethifold." Felicity sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You can get rid of them with a Patronus. It's rather easy, actually."  
  
"Er... Thanks." Neil said, raising his eyebrows. "How do you know, though?"  
  
"I know a lot." Felicity shrugged, pulling her knees to her chest, and locking her hands together. "I'm a little ahead of the people in my year."  
  
"Well, I guess that's a good thing. I'll keep your Patronus thing in mind next time I'm being smothered."  
  
Felicity smiled at him. Neil gave a sigh of relief. He was quite sure she wasn't going to hurt him now. She was probably grateful that he had saved her life.  
  
"So why did you save me?" She asked suddenly. "Your family hates mine, and your sister Crystal has probably warned you about me."  
  
"Um... Well, I just couldn't let you fall off the edge." Neil said, pondering it. "Even if your family doesn't like mine. It just didn't seem right."  
  
"I would have let you fall." Felicity shrugged. "Hell, I was even thinking about pushing you off." She paused and then said, "I guess it takes a good bit of bravery to save your friends, but even more to save your enemies."  
  
"Um, I guess." Neil said. Did she just say something nice to him? Maybe she wasn't as bad as Crystal had always told him. She actually was starting to seem kind of nice.  
  
"So you're the one who lives with a bunch of girls?" Felicity asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And then you get to school and you only friend is a girl, when there are other boys there you could be friends with?"  
  
Neil sighed. He'd never thought of it that way. "She's not my only friend." He said. So much for Felicity being nice...  
  
"Just asking." She shrugged.  
  
"So you're sitting here talking to me when you could be talking to your friends?" Neil asked her.  
  
"Well... the object of my coming here was to be alone... But now I'm talking to you. Besides... my friends aren't much for talking, you know. They're just kind of there. In fact, I think I've just told you more now then I may have ever told them in the entire time I've known them! Why?"  
  
"Just asking." Neil smiled.  
  
"But I suppose I'll go now." Felicity said, standing up. Neil didn't say anything, but he really didn't want her to go. "I feel better now. Thanks for not letting me fall."  
  
"Er- you're welcome."  
  
"I suppose I'll see you around school sometime." She offered a hand to help him up, and he took it. "Goodbye, Neil."  
  
"Bye." Neil said, as he watched her disappear. He looked around, and noticed for the first time that Felicity had dropped something. It was a mirror. Much to his surprise, it wasn't shattered. There was something written on the back, but he couldn't read it. It was in another language. He looked into it. It wasn't his reflection staring back at him! He shook his head, and looked into it again. It was still someone else. It was his father. He looked around one last time and disappeared.  
  
~*~  
  
A quiet looking woman with long straight light brown hair and dazzling blue eyes sat in an armchair with her little daughter. The little girl had straight dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. The woman stroked her hair, and looked around nervously.  
  
"Mommy," the little girl said quietly. "Why does daddy hit me?"  
  
The woman sighed. She stroked the little girl's soft hair, and kissed her forehead. "He can't control himself, Catie."  
  
"Why mommy?" Little Cate asked. The woman with her was Lizzie. Lizzie looked at her, and sighed.  
  
"I don't know, sweetie." She lied. Something inside her wanted to tell her three year old everything, but Cate could never understand; not when she was three.  
  
"Well, why does daddy hit you?" Cate asked.  
  
"I don't know, honey." Lizzie responded, looking at the bruises on her arms. Every time she tried to escape, she was caught, and punished. Why did she have to go through this? It wasn't fair for Cate, either. Cate was just three; still little. "Come on Cate... We have to go. We have to leave."  
  
Lizzie stood up, with Cate in her arms. Cate was clinging to her tightly, her small face buried in Lizzie's robes. She looked around, and opened the door. "Come on, Liz." She said to herself. "Don't get caught. Do it for Cate."  
  
She walked quietly down the hall, looking at the pictures on the wall. This was the hall she had decorated. It held pictures of her friends, and her family. Jacob James strongly disapproved of it, but he let it stand.  
  
Lizzie knew what was going to happen if she was caught. She knew that Jacob had found out Cate wasn't his child, though she was positive he knew all along. She knew that he was arranging to have Cate killed. This was the time she couldn't fail in her escape. Both their lives depended on it.  
  
She crept down the stairs, glad that they were not wooden. She was glad they didn't creak. They reminded her of the stairs at her family Manor. She thought of Sirius. That was who she should have been with. Sirius. But he was in prison. She knew he was innocent, but there was no real way to prove it. There was no way for him to know he had a daughter.  
  
She stroked Cate's soft hair, and then opened the door. It was raining outside. She took a deep breath, and closed the door quietly behind her. Cate squirmed, but didn't say anything.  
  
The rain beat down on them, as Lizzie lifted Cate over the fence, then climbed over it herself. She picked Cate back up, and looked around. There were trees and hills. Perhaps she could hide? No. They'd find her. She was escaping, not hiding.  
  
Where would she go? James and Lily were dead. Lily had been her best friend all through school. They had discussed everything with each other. They'd plotted out their lives, and imagined their futures. They imagined their children would play together.  
  
But for the both of them, there was no such luck. All their dreams had been soiled as soon as they graduated. Lizzie had been a year younger than all her other friends. James, Lily, Remus, Meagan, Marykate, Sirius... Peter.  
  
Meagan was still around. She had been close to Meagan and Marykate too. But not like she had been to Lily. If she could find Meagan, she'd be safe. There would be nothing much that Jacob James could do. Yes, she had to find someone. She could take a bus, or a plane, far, far away.  
  
Then she'd try and start over again. No more abuse. No more pain. Cate could lead a happy life. Maybe she could get Sirius freed! She sighed, thinking about it.  
  
But as she turned around, something popped the happy bubble she had been floating off in thought in. There was a tall black haired man facing her, looking murderous. Lizzie gasped, and took a step backwards.  
  
Muttering something inaudible, she set Cate down, and the poor little girl ran and hid behind her. Lizzie drew her wand and looked at the man. "Please, no." She said. "I won't beg for your mercy, but I'll beg for that of my child's."  
  
"I'm not here to kill you, Elizabeth," said the man. His voice was very low and monotone. "Just the girl. I'm paid to do my job."  
  
"No. I won't move." Lizzie said. "I won't let you have her."  
  
The man grimaced, and he growled. "Then I'll have to kill you too." He said. Lizzie reached behind her legs, and touched Cate's head.  
  
The man shielded his eyes, and stared at her. "What the Hell d'you think you're doing?" He shouted at her. There was a bright light atop a hill nearby, and a man screaming. There was a child's scream and--  
  
Everyone froze. The man was frozen still reaching into his jacket pocket for something. Cate's face was buried in Lizzie's robes, and Lizzie's jaw was dropped slightly, looking in the direction of the hill. For what seemed an eternity, they remained in those positions. Nothing moved, then--  
  
There was another cry from a child on the hill, and they were unfrozen. The man pulled a knife, and Lizzie muttered something, and there was a flash of light green light. But nothing seemed to have happened. The man paused for a moment, before sinking the knife deep into Lizzie's chest.  
  
Lizzie screamed loudly, and fell over, as Cate moved out of the way, and screamed. The man pulled the knife out of Lizzie's lifeless body, and turned to Cate, who was still screaming. He pulled out a wand, and grinned.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" He said loudly, and there was a green flash. Cate fell over, and the man screamed in shock as he realized the curse had just bounced off her. All that happened to Cate was the cut on her forehead. It was shaped like a small cloud.  
  
Crawling over to her mother, Cate touched the blood on her chest. "Wake up." She said softly. "Please, mummy!" Cate began to cry, after she'd given Lizzie a shake. "Daddy'll hurt me!"  
  
From that night on, Cate considered herself to have no parents. Even when they returned, she refused to accept them. Being left alone was too much for her.  
  
The small girl curled up next to Lizzie, and cried herself to sleep. In the morning, she was found by a stunned Jacob James and a few older boys. He was angry, but didn't dare try and kill her himself. From that time on, Cate's life was a horrible mess... Until she met Bellum.  
  
~*~  
  
Cate woke with a start. Sirius was shaking her softly saying something. She couldn't hear what, though. Nothing anyone said to her made sense. It was all a slurred blur of words that was inaudible. She looked at her mother, who was watching her sadly.  
  
She remembered her deal. It would soon be all better. In a few months, she'd have Bellum back... Even though she dreaded the day when she had to rejoin Voldemort, it was all going to be better. Or was it?  
  
She'd proved to him that she still had the power to kill. Dolere couldn't bother her any longer. But she also remembered what Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had said to her. Cate was still trying to decide what to do. She could go back on her deal. Yes... she didn't have to stick with it if she didn't like it.  
  
"Cate? CATE?!" Sirius said loudly, and Cate looked at him, hearing what he said.  
  
"What?" She snapped. "Just leave me alone."  
  
Sirius backed off, biting his lip. He looked at the rest of the people in the room, and turned and left. Everyone else followed, casting backwards glances at Cate. She'd made a mess of her life again. What was she getting into?  
  
She thought of the people in her dreams. Maybe the dreams were trying to tell her something? No. As Bellum had told her, it was only a dream.  
  
Bellum. Cate's heart ached to think of him. She wished she could tell him that the dreams were back. Every time she was pregnant, the dreams got worse. This pregnancy had been the worst. Even her life was a nightmare. 


	27. Boy, Time Sure Does Fly when You're Havi...

Chapter 27 Boy, Time Sure Does Fly When You're Having Fun! Meagan closed her eyes. Sparks spiraled around her glowing form. Her Muggle clothes suddenly flared red. The bottom of her jeans stretched out and flapped in the breeze. Her shirt latched itself onto her jeans and connected with it. The end of her sleeves grew large. A large lump of material formed a hood on the back of her shirt. A rope slithered out around her waist and magically tied itself. There was a flash and a Gryffindor emblem perched itself on the newly formed robes. Meagan pulled the hood up so it shielded her face. Her eyes became neon blue so she could see in the dark. She hardly needed it, for the full moon gleamed strongly in the night air. She felt energized by the moon's strong rays. She took a deep breath and disappeared. The moment she arrived on the Hogwarts Grounds, she transformed into a cat in the case of danger. She padded silently through the moon rays, looking for any sign of life. She found none. She gave a frustrated mewing sound. "So," said a deep voice behind her that made her jump, "You came, Gryffindor Girl." Meagan turned back and faced the owner of the voice. "You always were looking for a new adventure." The man was wearing robes identical to her own, with the exception to the fact that they were yellow. It also had a Hufflepuff crest on it. Meagan knew who it was. She felt the aura of power that radiated off him. The lion on her Gryffindor crest roared and lashed its tail. The badger on his Hufflepuff crest wiggled its nose and pawed at the air. She felt the corners of her mouth twitching as the lion on her crest reared and shook its head. Meagan walked over to the man and lowered his hood. She stepped back. The man's dark brown hair was in a tangled mess from the hood. His neon blue eyes turned shimmering brown and then to purple with delight. His lips curled into a smile, revealing straight white teeth. "Michael," Meagan breathed. "Meagan," Michael said, nodding in recognition. He lowered her hood and she shook her mane of brown hair. She hugged him. "We, as I think I speak for Marykate too, missed you a lot. It's just not fun being an heir without your friend there." Michael grinned widely at her. His smile faltered. "Where is the Ravenclaw Rouge?" he asked. Meagan shrugged. "Truthfully, Hufflepuff Boy, I have no idea." She said. "You don't think I didn't know about the note, do you?" said a voice. Meagan and Michael turned. A lady in robes identical to theirs stepped out of the shadows. Her robes were blue with a Ravenclaw crest on it. The raven beat its wings excitedly and crowed. She lowered her hood. "Marykate!" Meagan and Michael shouted at the same time. "In the flesh," said Marykate. She curtsied and stood up, grinning excitedly from ear-to- ear. "Well, here we are," Meagan said, "United at long last." She took Marykate's and Michael's hands. Marykate and Michael connected their free hands. Meagan closed her eyes as she felt the pulse of their magic now coursing through her own veins. She felt the part of her that made her seem broken off from the world mend. All her muscles relaxed and she smiled. Everything was as it should be now. Suddenly, something disrupted them. Meagan had let go of the other heirs' hands and clutched her head. She fell to her knees, clutching her face in her hands. She gave out a cry of pain and rolled onto her back, twitching. She went rigid and her eyes rolled into her head. In a voice that wasn't her own, she said: "Voldemort has regained his accomplice. His close follower has returned to him. Along with his close follower will be her daughter. Together, the three will shift the balance of Dark and Light Magic in favor of the Dark. A reign of terror will insure unless one person can stop it. The one person is the only person who can stop them: Bellum Pugnare." Meagan's body sagged. Her eyes rolled forward and she breathed deeply. She closed her eyes, sat up, and rolled her shoulders. In a quaking voice, she said in her normal voice, "That's the first prediction I've had in. in twenty-two years." Her eyes were troubled. Marykate and Michael exchanged glances. "What did I say?" Meagan asked, starting to shake. Marykate read Meagan's mind. There are seven or eight parts to the mind, for it varies. The first part is the part that controls all the senses, breathing, and whatnot. The second part is the part that is consciousness. It allows the person to think and see through the mind's eye. The third part is the part is the subconscious. It allows the person to dream and daydream. The fourth part is the part that controls emotions. It simulates a problem and tells the mind what emotion the body should be feeling. The fifth part of the mind connects cause and effect. When something happens, the mind tells the consciousness what should happen next. The sixth part is the part that remembers. It stores all the memories that stand out vividly in the mind. The seventh part is where all the memories that have been forgotten are stored. No one is able to unlock this part of the mind unless they are a mind reader. The eighth part is the part of mind is a part only Seers possess. It stores all the predictions the Seer has made. The only way to read this part of the mind is to actually touch the person. Marykate, who had had years of mind-reading experience, knew all this. She touched Meagan's forehead and closed her eyes. She searched her friend's mind. First she touched the part that influences emotions and caused Meagan's shock and tenseness to change to calmness. She opened her eyes and saw Meagan relaxing. She closed them again and tapped into the part of the mind only Seers had. Eyes still closed, Marykate repeated Meagan's latest prediction aloud: "Voldemort has regained his accomplice. His close follower has returned to him. Along with his close follower will be her daughter. Together, the three will shift the balance of Dark and Light Magic in favor of the Dark. A reign of terror will insure unless one person can stop it. The one person is the only person who can stop them: Bellum Pugnare." Meagan's eyes widened. "We have to get to Bellum!" she said, sitting up and whacking heads with Marykate. Marykate used a bad choice of words and fell over backwards, rubbing her head. Breathing fast, Meagan grabbed her friends' hands and disappeared. ~*~ Alex couldn't stand it anymore. Crystal and her family were acting so strange because she was there and it was driving her NUTS! She grabbed Crystal's hand and dragged her down the corridor to an empty room. "We have something to tell you," she said, trembling. "We do?" asked Aaron, jogging along side them. Alex gave him a patronizing stare. "Yes, we do." The trio walked into Crystal's room. Crystal looked around to see if anyone was in the room. "So?" she asked, giving both kids a searching look. Aaron and Alex looked at each other. "We know." They said in unison. "Uh. know what?" Crystal asked, confused. "We know that you're a. wizard." Alex said. Crystal sagged in her seat. "I'm a witch, not a wizard. Wizards are boys and witches are girls," she said, "And if you know, I hope you don't mind if I change my room back." She waved her hand and her room's features changed back to the way it usually was. "A-aren't you gonna. zap us or something?" Aaron asked. Crystal snorted. "I reserve the zapping for Brian only. He always acts stupid. You know, I think I'll get him over here." She said, her lips twitching. Aaron and Alex visibly relaxed. 'Brian Black, get your butt over here. I won't finish the sentence, my mind-waves are easily deciphered by mind readers and whatnot.' Crystal mind- waved Brain. 'Mmmph. Crys, its too early.' Brian replied. 'Then I'll make you.' She said, laughing maliciously. Crystal clicked her fingers and Brain appeared out of nowhere. He fell to the ground with a thump. "Awww. Moonlight! I was sleeping! You know how." he started to complain, but then saw Aaron and Alex. "Um. Hi?" he tried. Crystal sat down on the bed. "They know." She said. "If they know, can I change into my robes?" Brian asked, yawning and scratching his head. Sighing, she nodded. Brian clicked his fingers and he was dressed in hot pink robes. "Gaaa!" he said, seeing the color. Crystal fell over laughing. "It matches your frostbite! You should stay with that look!" she gasped. "Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. I'm laughing hysterically." Brian said, changing into his regular blue robes. "You know, I could heal that frostbite of yours but. NAH!" Crystal said, rolling on the ground. Brian's face, if possible, had gone even redder. "I'll set a living snowman on you and see how you like it!" he said. "It's your own fault! You bewitched the snowballs to hit your family while laughing insanely!" "Well. um. it was funny! Dad hid behind Mum and it was funny!" "I wish I had been there. we would have won. but it was a Black thing, I bet. I wouldn't want to get into your family things." Aaron and Alex watched them dazedly. It seemed to be so natural to the two. They looked at each other and then back at the witch and wizard. "Sorry," panted Crystal, "But I had to do that. It's just so funny that the Abominable Snowman was chasing Brian around his yard." She laughed again and breathed deeply. "Whoo." she said, panting, "Boy, was I holding that in for a long time." Alex and Aaron glanced at each other. "You're not going to-punish us-or anything?" asked Alex, shaking. Crystal looked at her friends, her eyebrows raised. "Of course not! You're my friends! Besides, only a Dark Wizard would do that. If I were a Dark Wizard, you wouldn't have lived to see today!" she said, her arms spread wide. "Well, since they know." Brian began, looking around slyly, "Let's have some fun." Crystal's eyes changed to the color of purple and she grinned widely. She held out her fist. "I'm in," she said. "Me too!" Brian exclaimed, putting his hand on her fist. It was then Alex and Aaron realized that Crystal and Brian weren't powerful wizards, but kids like themselves. "Count us in!" they said in unison and put their hands on top of Brian's. ~*~  
  
  
  
The door to Cate's house magically burst open. Lizzie and Sirius, who were there for a visit, looked up. Lizzie was teaching Sirius how to fold the laundry by hand and Sirius was doing a horrible job. He barely even blinked before he was pinned against the wall. He gave a strangled cry and closed his eyes. "Open your eyes, Sirius!" said a gruff voice that was familiar. Sirius opened his eyes and saw a pair of large blue eyes in front of his. They quickly changed color and were orange with fright. He blinked and gulped. "Sirius," Meagan said, her voice strangled, "The Dark Angel of Light is back!" Lizzie looked up sharply. "What?" she gasped, "How do you know?" Meagan's shoulders became tensed. "I had a prediction." She said, biting the inside of her cheek. "Oh my god!" shrilled Lizzie. "Uh oh." said Sirius, now hitting his head on the wall. Meagan released him and looked around her wildly. "Where's Bellum?" she asked, fidgeting nervously. Her orange eyes kept darting to the walls where lots of pictures hung. Suddenly, she was caught up in a fit of spasms. She collapsed to the ground. Her body seemed void of her usual energy as she turned milky white. Her eyes rolled up into her head and her body became rigid. "No," she croaked in her regular voice, "Not again!" Sirius and Lizzie blanched as she watched her convulsing on the floor. Then, for her second prediction that day, she said: "Bellum Pugnare cannot be found, for he has been lost in the Book of Souls. Dolere Malfoy has died as Bellum has, for Cate has killed her in vengeance. Lord Voldemort came to Cate and offered her something. He said that if she joined the Dark Side once again he would bring Bellum back to her. But Voldemort has lied. There is but one way to bring back someone lost in the Book of Souls. It is not a physical thing. Only a love so strong it is unbreakable can bring back a Lost Soul. If there is no hatred in the entire person for even the briefest moment, the Lost Soul can be returned. Cate will experience this but she will find it out on her own. Bellum will be freed." Meagan's whole body sagged and she lie on the floor, gasping for breath. Her eyes rolled forward and she closed them. She began to shake. "Two predictions in one day." she said hoarsely, shaking even more violently, "That means something bad will definitely happen." "What is this filth doing in my house?" Cate asked, pursing her lips as she entered the room. Meagan's eyes rapidly changed color. It was hard to tell what they'd rest on first. She scuttled backwards and pushed herself up the wall. "W-where's Bellum? This is quite important." she said, gulping nervously. "Bellum is. indisposed as of right now. Go," Cate said. Meagan gulped again. "Meagan, why don't you tell her your prediction-!" Sirius said. "Padfoot!" Meagan hissed, her eyes turning red. She stood up and faced Cate, bracing herself for a jinx. "Prediction, eh?" Cate said, pacing around her, "Full of odd little surprises, now aren't we? A Seer? Dear me, I'd've never thought. Yes, secrets do eat away at you until they get so big someone finds out. Does your precious little Harry know, Meagan? Maybe you're just too good for him. The great Meagan Cassandra Delmore is just too good for little old Harry Potter, eh?" Cate had never dared say such things in front of her parents. Only when she was the Dark Angel of Light did she dare. Sirius and Lizzie looked over at their eldest daughter, shocked. "Catie, you know better!" Lizzie said, standing up. Her eyes flashed at her daughter dangerously. "I know better than to what, dearest mother of mine who left me?" Cate said, the gold flecks in her eyes standing out prominently. "I know better than to poke fun at my elders, dearest father who was dragged off to Azkaban and left his daughter to be killed?" This was too much for Meagan. Making fun of Harry was enough. She could just barely hold back her anger because of that. But making fun of her parents who loved her and toiled to bring her back was too much. She lunged at Cate and pinned her against the wall, her hand at Cate's throat. Cate started to move towards her wand but Meagan said, "One more word or wrong move, Dark Angel of Light, and you'll get it." Too late. Cate took her wand out. "Incendio!" she shrieked. Meagan ducked and the curtain burst into fire. Lizzie quickly put it out. Meagan stuck her hand into the flames and drew it out with a handful of fire. She flung the fireball at Cate, but she dodged it. Cate gave a scream of frustration and yelled, "Diffindo!" Meagan did a back flip. The spell hit the glass window and the glass spilt in half and then shattered. She shouted the Conjunctivitis Curse. Cate screamed as the spell hit her and her eye got infected, making it almost impossible to see. She waved her wand around blindly and bellowed, "Avada- !" She stopped, partly in shock. Green smoke sputtered out of the end of Cate's wand. She hesitated, wondering whether or not to finish the incantation. Meagan had frozen too. She started to dodge it, but it was already way too late. ~*~ "C'mon, it isn't bad!" Crystal said, her Lightning on her shoulder. "It's a broom for cripes sake!" Aaron said, biting his lip. "A highly safe broom!" she said indignantly. "Safe or not safe, I'm not riding a FREAKING BROOMSTICK!" "You are such a baby!" "Am not!" "Am too!" "Am not!" "Am too!" Brian and Alex watched the two with interest. "Do you think this is going to go on all day?" asked Alex, yawning and glancing at Brian. "No doubt about it," he said, yawning also. "Soda?" "Sure." Brian clicked his fingers and two bottles of Coke appeared. "Thanks," Alex said, taking a long sip. "No prob." He said, nodding as he watched Crystal and Aaron fight. Crystal's eyes were brown with determination and stubbornness. Every now and then they flickered red. "Hello Brian." Said a voice behind Brian that made him jump. "Stop sneaking up on me, Neil!" Brian said crossly, watching Alex giggle. The gold flecks in his eyes flashed. "I didn't," Neil said, shrugging. He gazed intently at Brian who shuddered involuntarily. "What do you want, pipsqueak." Brian asked, feeling Neil's eyes burrow into his. "Have you seen my mum?" asked Neil. Brian felt a chill go down his spine and he squirmed as he realized Neil hadn't blinked once. Not once. "No." Brian said slowly, "Why?" Neil shrugged, looking downcast. Neil looked up at Brian again. Brian's jaw dropped open for a second and he was completely lost in his thoughts. He felt recent memories drawn forward. "Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Stop messing with my mind!" Brian said, starting to look panicked. Neil blinked, breaking the connection. "Sorry." He said, turned and left. Brian gaped after him. ~*~ Meagan didn't scream. She didn't even flinch. "Bring it on!" she yelled, a vein throbbing in her temples. "You will pay, Catherine Black! Now my kids won't have a mother! You-!" she was cut off abruptly. A lucky thing, because Meagan was about to do some heavy duty swearing. She closed her eyes as it felt like her soul was torn from her body. It wasn't a comforting feeling. She opened her eyes as she felt herself being sucked down what seemed to be a giant drain. Her soul twisted and turned down in the spiraling motion. This surely wasn't death, was it? Maybe it was the effects of the death spell. It was then she started to scream. No sooner than she started to scream, she landed. She felt herself suddenly become solid. She didn't feel like it was her own, too. The suction feeling suddenly stopped. The impact hit her mind so hard that she didn't even have a chance to fight for her consciousness. ~*~ Nicolas Turner sighed deeply. Hogwarts would be starting up again soon. His parents didn't know he was a wizard, and it was a lucky thing too, for he would've been killed. Nicolas didn't like his family and his family didn't like him. He was treated more like a slave boy than one kin to them. His older brother, Finn, was treated as handsomely as a prince for his hard work. Hard work had never been Nicolas's thing. When his family wasn't looking, he'd usually charm things instead of actually doing them. He vowed he would curse them as soon as he learned one good enough for them. "Off with ye, Nicolas, you lazy thing!" shouted his mother, Elizabeth, "Go fetch slop for the pigs!" Scowling, Nicolas took the bucket of slop his mother had for him and took it out back to put in the trough. "Nicolas, off with ye! Go feed the pigs! Nicolas, go sweep the floor! Nicolas, do our dirty work, Nicolas!" he mimicked as he hauled the wooden bucket into the pigpen. He wiped his sweaty bangs back out his eyes and continued poking fun at his mother. Nicolas sighed and sat down on the fence of the sty. "My life is unimportant, isn't it?" he asked the snorting pigs. "Yet thou life is as simple as eating slop." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I wish I was destined to have an adventure." He said. The pigs snorted. Ariana, his friend, suddenly came running down the dirt pathway to him. Her long, brown hair that usually reached her knees trailed out behind her. Her sparkling blue eyes were smiling at him. Her slippers padded on the ground. She held up a long silken dress of royalty so she could run. Her father was one of the Lords to the King. She was grinning at him with her straight teeth. They were even clean! Her father had hired a rare doctor to doctor her teeth. "Nicolas! Nicolas!" she called in a musical voice with a heavy British accent. "Ariana! I am here!" he called back, running out to meet her. She ran into his arms and he held her. "Why art thou here, Lady Ariana Bryne?" he asked, running his fingers through her long hair. "Father shan't know about this, Nicolas. He says we shan't meet!" she said, hugging him closely. Nicolas looked at the daughter of Lord Bryne closely. She had been courted many times by his own brother, Finn, but to no success. She had always loved Nicolas. She always would, she had vowed once. Nicolas touched Ariana's lips and caressed her rosy cheek. "No matter, dearest Ariana, I shall come to see thou through anything." He said softly. "Oh, Nicolas," said Ariana, burying her face in his ragged clothes. Without warning, a violent wind swept around them. "Ariana!" cried Nicolas, clutching onto his beloved. "Nicolas! Help me!" she screamed, her hair becoming tangled and dirty. A tunnel of green came barreling out of the sky. It encased itself around Ariana. "Nic-!" she said, but her voice was cut short. The fierce wind became a gentle breeze and the tunnel of green disappeared. Ariana slumped in his arms. "No! No!" yelled Nicolas, sobbing into Ariana's neck, "What foul magic is this!? Who wouldst bestow such a terrible thing upon my beloved Ariana!?" Everything remained silent except the echoes of his voice. "Ariana!" he cried into the darkening twilight, "ARIANA!" ~*~ "W-what happened? W-where am I?" Meagan moaned. Her head lolled unpleasantly on her neck. She kept her eyes closed. She blindly stretched a hand out in front of her. It touched a face. "Harry?" she mumbled, "Sirius? James? Remus?" "No, milady, 'tis I, your beloved Finn." Said a strange voice. "Finn? I don't recall." Meagan croaked, lifting one heavy eyelid and then the other. She saw a strong, good-looking young man with blonde hair looking down at her. His brown eyes were wide and sympathetic. "Do not worry, milady, I will fetch thou some water!" Finn said, and hurried out of the room. As soon as Finn left, another boy entered the room. His large gray eyes searched the room. He was covered in freckles and his hair, so dark brown it was almost black, was a tangled mess upon his head. He had thick eyebrows and was a scrawny little thing. "Oooh. I need to find Harry. I need to save him." Meagan said, sitting up and getting so dizzy she had to lie down. "Harry? Who is this Harry?" asked the boy suspiciously. Meagan tried to move her hand but it got caught in her hair. Odd, she thought, trying to remove it. In fact, her hair was way too long to be hers. "Come here, lad," Meagan said. "Lad? But am I not thy lover, Nicolas?" Nicolas asked. "Just do it." Meagan said. Nicolas approached the bed and stood there expectantly. She touched his hand. "Ahhh! Good! You're a wizard! You'll understand!" she said, smiling broadly. "Shhh!" said Nicolas, glancing to his left and right. "How do you know about wizards?" he demanded. Meagan sighed, preparing to do some major explaining. "I was in a duel with my archenemy the Dark Angel of Light and she began to say the Killing Curse, but stopped after the first word. Now. Now I'm in this body." She said, biting her lip. "Dark Angel of Light?" asked Nicolas, looking confused. Realization struck Meagan like a bucket of ice-cold water. "What year is this?" she asked, blanching several shades. "The year is 1020, milady." Nicolas said. Meagan lie down again, breathing deeply. "How long has Hogwarts been founded?" "Two years." "Is milord Godric Gryffindor alive?" "Yes! Of course!" Meagan leapt out of bed with a triumphant cry. She wobbled dangerously and sat down again. "I'd better wait a minute before actually trying to get to him." She said, lying down. "Who art thou, milady?" Nicolas asked. "Why, I'm Meagan Potter, husband of Harry Potter." "Thou cried his name in thou sleep. And the names James and Remus. Thou also shouted serious." "Yes. The Marauders. They're my buds: James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black." "Thou name thy flowers?" "Um. no. I'm meant that they're my friends." "Oh. How old are you, Lady Potter?" Meagan licked her (well, they aren't hers) lips. She was inwardly laughing at being called Lady Potter. She decided that she should tell the truth. A giggle escaped her lips. She smiled at him, her teeth showing. "I'm fifty years old. You see, my regular body is that of a 20-year-old's now. I got stuck at the age of 16 for. 17 years and ever since then, my aging process has slowed. All of my friends are 50 and my husband is 33. My oldest child 12 and my youngest is short of a few weeks. I've led a very complicated life, Nick." Meagan said this all, thinking all the while. "Nick?" Nicolas asked, puzzled. "It's called a nickname," explained Meagan, "Nick is the nickname for Nicolas. Meg is the nickname for Meagan, not that I want you to call me that." Nicolas nodded as if he understood. "Milady, I hast returned with they water!" Finn said, dashing into the room. Took long enough, Meagan thought. She concealed her snort and took the wooden goblet she was passed. She took a sip and nearly retched. There was something SWIMMING IN HER MOUTH. Her throat constricted and she made a high-pitched whining noise. Slowly, she spit the contents of her mouth back into the cup. There was a worm in the water. "What's wrong, Lady Bryne?" inquired Finn and Nicolas at the same time. Nicolas looked apprehensive about his futuristic friend. Finn threw a fit. He ran over to her and hugged her. "It is all right, milady!" he said. Meagan, looking desperate, mouthed, "Help me" from between the gap in his arms. He nodded and drew his wand. "Incendio." He whispered, pointing it at the curtains. The curtain caught fire and he quickly hid his wand. Meagan winked at him and threw the cup of water at it, worm and all. She quickly doused it with a bit of magic. She was glad that, even though she was in the body of a muggle, she still possessed her usual powers. Nicolas shot her a quizzical look. Licking her lips, she mind-waved, 'Nick, tell him I'm going to come visit your school. Do it!' Nicolas was shocked. He had heard her voice in his head. So he did as she said. "Um... uh. Milady is coming to my s-school." stuttered Nicolas. 'Tomorrow.' Meagan mind-waved, nodding. "Tomorrow." Nicolas finished, biting his lip and looking at her. She nodded. 'Good job.' She said. "Why wouldst milady be wanting to visit thy school?" asked Finn, roaring with laughing. Meagan closed her eyes and concentrated. "I wish to visit thy school, Nicolas," Meagan said in her best British accent. She was no great shakes at using accents and she was surprised at how natural it sounded. "Tomorrow, it twill be, then, milady." Nicolas said, grinning. "Yes." Meagan said, nodding gleefully. Finn looked downtrodden. ~*~ "Something is definitely fishy about Neil," Brian said, shaking his head. Crystal snorted. Aaron and Alex looked at them thoughtfully. "He was messing with my mind! I felt myself thinking something I wasn't willing to think!" he huffed, crossing his arms. He winced, his frostbite stinging. "Fine, I'll go ask him." Crystal said, and walked out of the room. Brian strutted out after her. Aaron and Alex followed hesitantly. "O brother! Where art thou!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Neil sidled out of one of the many doors and gazed intently at her. "Yes?" he asked, his eyes flickering to Aaron and Alex. "What were you doing to Brian?" Crystal asked, pursing her lips. "Let me show you," he said, smiling his shy smile. Neil looked into her eyes. They were an emerald green, like his father's. They burrowed into Crystal's blue-green ones. She couldn't blink no matter how much she wanted to. She felt herself being drawn in to his unwavering gaze. The room around her disappeared into blackness. She wanted to give a startled yell but she no longer controlled her body. They landed somewhere with a soft thumping sound. Neil lifted his gaze and observed the scene around him. It was her room. Brian, Aaron, Alex, and she were in it. Yet, Neil and Crystal stood near the wall. The real Crystal gaped. She approached her other self and reached her hand. "They can't see, hear, or feel you." Neil said, his voice echoing strangely. She quickly withdrew her hand. "Where are we?" Crystal asked, looking around her. "In your memories," Neil said simply, blinking slowly and turning. Alex (the memory) said, "We know." She saw her other self blanch. "Uh. no what?" the memory asked, her voice echoing like Neil's had. "We know you're a. wizard." Alex the memory said, looking scared. "What- Hey! How come my voice isn't echoing?" Crystal asked, taken aback. Neil considered the question. "Because this is your memory in your head. I don't think you imagine your voice echoing when you think." He said knowledgably. Suddenly she began to be shaken roughly from side to side. Neil observed this, nodding thoughtfully. "I think they're trying to get you back. Look into my eyes again." He said. Crystal shuddered a little and looked into his eyes. The room disappeared again. Suddenly, it seemed as though something in the back of her mind clicked on. She squirmed a little. Without warning, she was being shaken roughly. Her face was close to Neil's. She fell over backwards. "Whoa!" she said, falling back into Brian. "Ack!" Neil said, blundering into Aaron, who cringed and backed away. "I need to improve on my landings." Neil said, up-righting himself and dusting his clothes. He turned and left. "Crys! Moonlight! What did he do?" Brian asked frantically. "We actually went into one of my memories. I was standing in one of my memories!" Crystal said, staggering upright. "It was so weird. I wonder if I could do it!" She grabbed Brian by the shoulders. He was her guinea pig for every magical experiment she tried. He whimpered. "Why me?" he asked the moment before he was dragged into his memory. ~*~ Cate stood panting. Her mother had preformed the counter curse and she could see again. Meagan was unconscious and on the ground. "You're lucky she isn't dead! How would we have explained the death of Meagan Potter!?" Lizzie was screaming herself hoarse. Sirius was trying to revive Meagan. "Blue Eyes! Wake up! Um. um. Brian kissed Crystal! No, not really. WAKE UP!" Sirius said, his face getting red. Meagan groaned and slowly got up. Sirius looked into her eyes. He screamed. Lizzie turned on heel. She backed into the wall, her face livid with horror. She clutched at her face and slid down the wall, chocking back a sob of terror. Cate bit back a smile. She was glad. She was glad, she realized. That terrified her. Her heart beat rapidly. She was torn between loving it and hating it. There was no in-between. There was no soul in Meagan. The light that made her eyes sparkle was gone. She was as pale as death. Her mouth was a horizontal line on her face, showing nothing but indifference. Her hair was suddenly void of its usual bounciness and was greasy and stringy. "Meagan!" Sirius squeaked. "Oh god, oh god, so horrible," Lizzie mumbled, her face buried in her hands. Cate just stood staring. "CATE!" Lizzie screamed, turning her tear-streaked face toward her daughter, who cringed, "Do you know what this means!? Voldemort may never be defeated!" Cate backed into the wall. She fell. Her face was twisted in an odd expression. Then she started to cry, like a lost little girl. Because she was one. ~*~ (A/N-Meagan: Hey! I just want to say I borrowed this idea from K. A. Applegate's Everworld series! They were good books!) Meagan tried desperately not to fall asleep. It was a hard thing to do. Even though the bed she was in was filled with straw and poked her back, she fell into a slumber. She screamed. She was falling through green. Suddenly, she landed. She stumbled. She blundered into someone. She squinted to make out the face, but her eyes just wouldn't focus for her. In time, they did. "Sirius!" she gasped. "Oh my god. I was sent back to the year 1020! I thought I was dead for good this time! Sirius! Sirius?" Sirius looked abashed. Lizzie was trembling horribly. Cate's face was painstakingly twisted. "Hello?" she asked, waving her hand. "I think you're still there. partially." Lizzie wheezed. "Um. why do you think that?" Meagan asked, biting her lip. Lizzie gestured to the mirror on the wall. Meagan went over and looked at her reflection. "Ahhhh!" she screamed in complete horror. She looked like she had just received the dementor's kiss. Everything seemed soulless, except for her eyes, which were now yellow with shock. "How-why-when-CATE!" she shrieked, starting for Cate. Sirius stepped in front of her, but Meagan threw him aside with her ferocious strength. Lizzie stepped up and touched Meagan's forehead. She touched the part of the mind that controlled emotions. Meagan stumbled backwards into the wall. Breathing deeply she looked up at Lizzie. "Thanks. I needed that, Liz." She said, breathing deeply. "I'm not all here. I think that Cate's half saying the incantation is making me shift to different places in time. You see, on the other end I just fell asleep. I guess this body is just on autopilot when I'm. not all here. Please, don't tell Harry. Tell him I've come down with a rare illness. I'll tell him when I come back. Also tell him I'll still be up to that Quidditch match in three days. Don't tell the kids, either; I don't want to scare them. Please, Lizzie! Please Padfoot! Keep an eye on Cate, she's the Dark-!" Meagan said. Her sentence was cut short as she spiraled down the green nothingness again. "Angel of Light!" she wheezed. Finn looked down at her, puzzled. "Thou hath a funny accent, milady." He said, scratching his blonde hair. "Come, milady! Today we travel to Hogwarts!" called Nicolas. He took her hand and led her out the front door. Her long hair fluttered gently out behind her. She looked at it, disgusted. She had a problem with long hair. It just wouldn't allow you to play Quidditch! Nicolas led her to the barn, where two horses stood waiting. One was as white as snow. Its long white mane and tail fluttered out in the breeze. One of its dark eyes was watching them intently. The other was as black as night with a long gray mane and tail. It was taller than the white mare and was a stallion. Meagan squealed and ran over to the white mare. "Do you mind if I ride you?" she asked it. The horse reared and shook its long mane. "It talks!" the mare said, alarmed. "I heard." Grunted the black stallion. "Yes, I talk. I happen to talk to animals a lot." Meagan said, grinning. "Are you the fabled heir to Lord Gryffindor? He also possesses the ability to talk to us!" the black stallion said, pawing the ground. "In a way, yes." Meagan said. Nicolas was staring at her. She flashed him a broad grin. "It would be an honor if you rode me, Lady." Said the white mare, smiling with her eyes. Meagan elegantly swung her leg over the horse and sat in the saddle. Nicolas clumsily fell into the stallion's saddle. "Easy, easy!" he neighed, rearing. "In my hastiness, I forgot to properly introduce myself! I am Snow Grace, milady. My mate is Night Bird." Snow Grace said as they started off at a steady walk. "I am Meagan Potter. You may call me Lady Potter, if you wish." Meagan said. She nudged Snow Grace's side and she went into a trot. "He rides like a sack of potatoes!" grunted Night Bird unhappily. Meagan giggled and nudged Snow Grace's sides again. Snow Grace sped up into a canter. "Let me run, Lady Potter, let me run!" Snow Grace whinnied, giddy. "Go, Snow Grace, run!" Meagan yelled and Snow Grace went galloping. Night Bird trailed behind them. "Hogwarts!" Meagan shouted, slowing Snow Grace to a trot. Snow Grace was panting but she, too, was admiring Hogwarts. It was looking fantastic. "Oh wow. It looks brand new!" Meagan choked, stopping Snow Grace. "Wonderful, isn't it?" Nicolas asked. She looked at Nicolas, amazed. He seemed to be talking more and more like she was. He seemed to be changing his accent. "Come on! I need to talk to Godric! Yah!" Meagan said, nudging Snow Grace's side hard. Snow Grace reared and shook her long white mane. Then she took off in a full run. "Woo Hoo!" Meagan yelled, the wind making her long hair fan out behind her. Nicolas and Night Bird tailed her closely. They reached Hogwarts in about half-an-hour. When they reached the castle, five house-elves came out and went to care for the horses. Meagan took off in a jog for the castle, her hair and long dress getting in the way. Nicolas jogged beside her, a weird grin on his face. "The one thing that has saved my life. Let's go see Professor Gryffindor." He said, eyes shining as he looked up at the castle. "I'm never going to get away from this place for good," she said and, laughing, ran after Nicolas into the castle. ~*~ "Are you sure these things are safe?" Crystal asked, wobbling on her roller blades and pulling at the protection pads. "They're a lot safer than a broomstick." Aaron retorted, skating fast and going off a magical ramp Crystal and Brian had devised. "Yee-hah!" he yelled as he turned a full 360° and landing on his feet. Crystal scowled. "Show off." she muttered. She skated around for a while, getting used to the fact that she had one line of four wheels to support her weight. Brian was doing horribly. He had learned how to roller blade backwards and couldn't do it forwards, causing him to run into a variety of things. Crystal decided she was going to try the ramp. Breathing harshly, she stopped a good ten yards from the ramp. Then she went as fast as she could, with some help from some magic. She rocketed off the ramp and did a back flip. "AAAAH!" she screamed, curling into a ball as she flipped upside down. She let go as she saw the ground rushing towards her and landed on her blades. She yelped from the impact and fell on her butt. Alex watched Crystal with an open mouth. Not looking where she was going, she ran into the telephone pole. Aaron, too, had fall on his butt. Brian had bladed backwards into the house and Crystal was looking up at them dazedly. "We need butt pads." She muttered thickly. They were soon in action again. Crystal was trying to teach Brian how to roller blade forward, but to no success. She would push him forward and he would only fall on his face. She ended up having to put shielding spells all over him because he was so scratched up, and the frostbite was no help. Crystal roller bladed forward to show Brian how to again, when something happened. Her eyes became wide and she looked paralyzed. Scenes flashed by her eyes. She saw Nita and Neil running away from a hulking shadow. Their faces were white and they looked desperate. That scene melted into a dark night. She saw herself and Brian sitting on a bench. She watched as they leaned forward and their lips touched. She saw that scene disappear and saw the triplets. One of them was different from the others. She was deaf and she was blonde. "I want to stay a Potter!" cried the triplet, "I want to be a wizard!" Crystal fell into Brian. Brian caught her by the arms and tried to hold her up. Alex and Aaron came over to help. "Crys!" Brian yelled, his voice rising in panic. Alex and Aaron started to go white. Crystal suddenly jerked. Brian fell over, with Crystal sprawled on top of him. "Are you all right?" Brian asked in an oddly high voice. "Yeah. I'm fine. It was nothing." She said, shaking a little. She needed to talk to her mother. very soon. There was a lump in her throat. But, she told herself; her mother was ill and had been for a day and a half. ~*~ Meagan strutted through the halls, very sure of herself. The term hadn't started yet. It started the next day. Nicolas looked around nervously. He still wasn't familiar with the corridors and passageways of Hogwarts yet. While she was looking the other way, she ran into someone. "Watch were you are going, dear girl!" cried Salazar Slytherin. Meagan backed into the wall. Nicolas gasped. Slytherin was known for his horrible temper and for his study in the Dark Arts. "You are a muggle!" he raged suddenly. "I am not!" she protested before she could think twice. Slytherin's face was starting to get red. "How dare you speak back to your elders!" he roared. "I always do." Meagan retorted, being the Marauder she was. Slytherin took out his wand. Meagan was about to shout a spell when Nicolas grabbed her by the arm. He dragged her down the corridor, while she shouted, "I like you better dead!" "What are you doing?" he hissed, pushing her against the wall. "Well, he's pretty considerate when he's dead. You see, I died when I was thirty-two. Being what I am, I lived to see life the next day. I met up with Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin. They're my. mentors, I guess you could say." "What are you?" "Why, I'm the Heir of Gryffindor." Meagan said. Nicolas released his hold and backed into the wall. "Oh, milady!" he said, "I didn't know! I wouldn't been so harsh if I'd have known." He looked ready to go down on his knees and grovel. "Um. okay." She said. "Who do we have here?" said a very familiar voice from behind them. "Professor Gryffindor!" cried Nicolas, his eyes widening. Meagan's eyes sparkled. "Hello Godric. It's been a long time since I've seen you. alive." She said. Gryffindor looked at her, bemused. "Yes, you heard me right. You see, Godric, I am your Heir. I come from the distant future. Almost a thousand years, to be exact. I am you're Created Heir. You created me to stop all evil. You're blood heir, Catherine Black, tried to kill me but it didn't work. It sent me here, and put me in this body. Now I need your help again. I need you to send me back, the way I came. Please. I need you!" Meagan said, her eyes pleading. Godric was shaken. He eyed her closely. "How do I know you are my Heir, never mind my Created Heir?" he asked. Meagan pointed to a rug that went down the corridor. On command, it rolled itself up and stopped inches away from their feet. Then she walked over to a heavy desk and picked it up with one hand. Then she balanced it on her finger. "Forget I asked," he said, awestruck. "I'm going to go to bed now. Tomorrow will be a tiring day for me. Nicolas, are you coming? Nicolas?" Nicolas was staring at her with his mouth wide open. "Um. yeah. uh. okay." he stammered. Meagan took Nicolas by the arm and led him to the Gryffindor Common Room. "Good night!" she called to Nicolas, dashing up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. He watched her until she disappeared from sight. Meagan slipped her many-layered dress off and put on a nightgown. She jumped into the bed and sighed. Hogwarts was her real home, no matter what the time. She let herself slip into a deep sleep, when, suddenly, she wasn't in bed anymore. She was holding two of the triplets. A doctor emerged from a side room. The doctor shook his head sadly, his eyes wide. "What is it?" Meagan demanded, "Is she okay?" The doctor didn't meet her eyes but kept his on the ground. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Potter. Angelina is. deaf. There's nothing we can do about it. I'm sorry." He said. Meagan almost dropped Ashleigh and Abigail. They squirmed and flailed their tiny arms. "Deaf?" she asked, his eyes wide and yellow. The yellow quickly melted into dark blue. "Angelina can't.. she's a Potter! She's my baby! She can't be!" she shrieked, tears falling down her face. Harry, who was standing next to her, shook his head sadly and placed a hand on her shoulder. Meagan was going into hysterics. Tears were pouring involuntarily down her face. "No!" she wailed, "Can't you do something? You're a wizard, for God's sake, do something man!" She begged. The doctor hung his head and said, "Sorry, Mrs. Potter. There is nothing we can do. I am so very sorry." Meagan put her face into Harry's robes and sobbed. "No, no, no, she's a Potter," she said weakly. "She's a Gryffindor." The doctor sighed. Few people knew that Meagan was an Heir, and he was one of them. He shuddered. Then he leaned forward and said, "There's something else." Meagan took her face out of Harry's robes. "What?" she sniffed, "Nothing could be much worse than being a deaf witch." The doctor shifted guiltily. "Mrs. Potter, Mr. Potter, I think you'd better sit down." He said. Meagan sat down in a chair and Harry sat next to her, rubbing her back. "Angelina is also a squib." "NOOOOOO!" Meagan screamed, making the triplets start to cry. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" She felt as though her heart was being ripped in two. She felt a sorrow and horror so deep it felt as though she was back at Lily and James's house, after they had just died. The doctor handed Angelina to Harry, who was numb with shock. "It can't be," he whispered. Suddenly, Meagan was no longer in the hospital room, but back in the dormitory. Nicolas was standing over her. There were tears pouring down her face. She hid her face in Nicolas's robes. He awkwardly stroked her hair. "What is it? What happened?" he asked, startled by this behavior. "My baby, Angelina, is a. is a.. squib!" she howled miserably. Nicolas looked at her. "Is she your first child?" he asked. "No," sniffed Meagan, "She's my. my. eighth." He looked at her, his eyes wide. "I want to go home." She whispered, her head against Nicolas's chest. "I just want to go home." ~*~ The blow of Angelina's being a squib hit the Potter family hard. She was just staring off into space most of the time. Alex and Aaron were starting to get worried. Crystal hadn't invited Brian over since the news came. Jo and Jess stopped playing pranks. Neil was even quieter and Nita was so subdued she barely got up out of bed, and when she did she just sat on the couch. "Um. Crystal?" asked Alex timidly. "Yes?" Crystal replied in a toneless voice. "Um. what's a squib?" Alex asked. They heard that Angelina was a squib but didn't know was a squib was. Crystal turned her deep blue eyes to look at her two muggle friends. "A squib is a muggle born into a wizarding family." She said. Alex and Aaron looked at each other. "I don't think I'm even going to enjoy the Quidditch match tomorrow." Crystal said. Again, Alex and Aaron looked at each other. Crystal had promised them that she was going to sneak them into the match. They were very excited about it. "Well, you guys should catch some z's. Tomorrow's going to be a good day." Crystal said. Sighing, Aaron and Alex walked up to bed. ~*~ "The first word of the death spell? Are you sure?" asked Godric. Meagan nodded. "I'm sure I'm sure. That's how I got here. It'll probably send me back. I don't really trust my logic. but it'll probably work." She said. Godric and Nicolas were standing next to each other. They were ready to send Meagan back. Nicolas couldn't wait to get Ariana back. Godric held his wand up and closed his eyes. He didn't want to kill his Created Heir off. She seemed so sure of herself. "Tell me when you're ready." He said. Nicolas looked at Meagan. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. She was going to go home and she was happy about it. Meagan held her arms out and closed her eyes. "Hit me!" she said. "Avada- !" Godric cried, flourishing his wand. "No! Wait!" screamed Nicolas, diving for Meagan. He couldn't let this happen! "No, Nicolas! You'll come with me! Nooooooo!" Meagan shrieked. Nicolas tried to shove her away from the green smoke that came rushing towards them, but it was too late. And it wasn't too late for just Meagan. ~*~ Crystal was wrong. She was going to enjoy this match. Her mother was going to play, as well as her father. Alex and Aaron were hidden under the Invisibility Cloak. They got Top Box seats. They always did. And they never had adult supervision. "Aaron and Alex, you can come out now!" Crystal said brightly, watching as Lee Jordan came to the top box. Her father had told her how Lee Jordan had always commentated at his school matches. Because of that, Lee knew the entire Potter family very well. "Hello, Crystal! How have your parents been fairing?" Lee asked. "Okay. My mum couldn't wait for this match!" she replied. Lee nodded, grinning. Then he was given the signal to start commentating. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards of all ages, to today's Quidditch match!" Lee said, his voice resounding around the stadium. "Today's match is between the Chudley Cannons and Ballycastle Bats!" The crowd applauded its approval. The Ballycastle Bats shot out to few cheers. It was as if the stadium exploded, however, when the Chudley Cannons came out. Lee named them all. ".And let's welcome back our favorite Chaser, Meagan Potter! Let's give a cheer to her husband and superb Seeker, Harry Potter!" Lee shouted. Harry did a loopy-loop when he came out to the roaring applause. Meagan did nothing really. She seemed as indifferent as she had been these days. The players hovered over the field, waiting for the balls to come into play. The referee let the balls loose. "The Quaffle is released and the game is on!" Lee shouted. Meagan dived for the ball. Harry flew in a spiral upwards and squinted around for the Snitch. Meagan clutched the ball to her side and flew towards the goal post. She was about to throw it, when. ~*~ Meagan screamed. She was falling through green again! Only this time, she had someone with her. She landed with a thud but didn't pass out. She screamed as a Bludger came at her face. She ducked it. Then she realized where she was. She was playing Quidditch. Meagan chucked the ball through the goal post. The crowd applauded and whistled. "Woo-hoo!" she called, applauding for herself over her head. She could hear the faint call of "Way to go, Mum!" in the crowd. The Quaffle flew into play again and Meagan grabbed it. She swerved the Ballycastle's Chaser and ducked a Bludger. She heard the Ballycastle Beater say a few choice words that's not wise to repeat. Then another Bludger hit her in the back. She gave a scream of frustration as she dropped the Quaffle and her nose hit the handle of her Lightning, causing it to bleed. The shiny, metallic-looking blood ran down her face and dripped onto the ground. The crowd gasped as one. "Ballycastle Bats in possession! Oooh! Nice Bludger work by the Cannon's Beater! The Chaser drops the Quaffle and Meagan Potter retrieves it! Oooh! Mrs. Potter gets hit in the side! The Bats in possession again! Another Cannon's Chaser gets that Quaffle and puts it through the goal post! The current score is Cannons: 20 and Bats: 10!" Lee yelled, doing his job. Meagan cheered on her team. She dived and got hit with the Bludger again and again. She scored again and again. "The current score is Cannons: 80 and Bats: 80! I say!" Lee shrieked, jumping up and down, "Oh, I say! Harry Potter goes into a spectacular dive and is tailed by the Ballycastle Seeker!" It was true. Harry had gone into a dive. He was shooting down vertically at full speed. His face was screwed up with concentration. You could see the beads of sweat flying off his forehead. He loosened his grip on the broomstick and slowed. The Ballycastle Seeker gave a triumphant yell. "I'm going to get the Snitch first, you dolt!" he yelled. Harry pulled up. "What Snitch?" he asked. The Ballycastle Seeker screamed as he hit the ground. Harry swerved upward and darted after the Snitch. The diversion had worked! He dived under his wife and over the Ballycastle Beater, who took a desperate swing at him with his bat. He leaned forward so much that was practically falling off the broom. He gritted his teeth and concentrated. His hand shook as he reached out for it. The crowd gave a scream of horror. A Bludger hit him in the side and sent him cart wheeling through midair, just barely managing to stay on his broom. His arm had snapped and was broken. The pain nearly blinded him. "Oh, you are gonna pay!" Meagan said and grabbed her Beater's club and used her unnatural strength to hit a Bludger at the Beater who had hit Harry. It hit the Beater in the stomach and sent him flying backwards into the wall. "Foul!" screamed the audience. "Foul!" shouted Lee. The referee blew his whistle. The Ballycastle Bats Chaser went for the hoop but got stopped by the Cannon's Keeper, Oliver Wood. After the foul took place, Harry flew around in search of the Snitch. He squinted through the haze of pain for any fleck of gold. Then he saw it. It was right below the Bat's Seeker. His eyes widened. Then Megan saw it too. She winked at him, her eyes purple. He leaned forward on his broom and sped toward the other Seeker. The other Seeker gave a yell and dived out of his way. Harry's fingers closed around the golden ball. All he could see was a blur as Meagan ran into him and hugged him tightly. "The Cannons win, 250 to 100!" Lee shouted, jumping up and down with glee. Meagan and Harry flew down to the locker room. When they landed, Meagan kissed Harry long and hard. Their teammates stared at them with wide eyes. Harry looked at her, shocked. "I thought you were sick!" he said. "Not anymore!" Meagan squealed. She waited for everyone to leave. Then she told Harry what had happened. He looked at her with wide eyes. They both looked up as the door opened. A boy with long brown hair that was so dark it was always black walked into the room. His face, behind his many freckles, was extremely pale. His gray eyes were wide and his thick eyebrows were wrinkled. He was a skinny little thing. "Nicolas!" Meagan gasped. "Yeah." Nicolas said shakily. "Oh, you poor thing, you're coming home with us!" she said, helping him come in and sit down. "Meagan?" he croaked, looking into her eyes, "Is that you?" Meagan looked nonplussed. "Yes, of course. Come along." She said. "Meagan? Is this the Nicolas kid you were telling me about?" Harry asked, looking a little worried. "Yeah." Meagan said, checking to see if he was all right. "Do you know how to apparate?" she asked Nicolas. He nodded. "Let's go." She said. ~*~ Nicolas fit in really well at the Potter residence. Alex and Aaron got sent home, for term started again quite soon. Crystal had taken to spying on Nicolas between pulling pranks and having Marauder Meetings. She giggled as she followed him down the corridor and he looked around for the person who had giggled. It was all good, until one day. "Ooooh!" Crystal gave a moan, trying to spook Nicolas. "Whoever that is, quit it!" he moaned, hiding his face in his pillow. She moaned and he jumped up, frustrated. As he jumped up, he hit Crystal, who wasn't solid or visible. Crystal shrieked as suddenly she was solid and visible again. She fell and skidded across the floor. Nicolas looked at her, shocked. "How did you do that?" Crystal asked in a voice that was barely audible. "I-I don't know," he said. Crystal fled, terrified. "Wait!" Nicolas called after her, but she sped up and lost Nicolas in seconds. "Mum! Mum!" Crystal shrieked. Meagan, who had been sleeping, woke up with a start as Crystal flung herself at her. "Oof!" Meagan grunted. "Mum! Nicolas! He stopped my powers!" Crystal said, hysterical. "What?" "I was bugging him, while I was invisible and not solid. then he jumped up and hit me. Then I became solid and visible again! Nothing is supposed to do that!" "Oh, great." Meagan said. ~*~ Cate watched this all in a hovering crystal ball. "So," she said in her silky voice, "They do have a weakness, and to think it's only a boy!" She laughed evilly to herself. "Now, to abduct that Nicolas child. But how to do it. it must be neat. No one should suspect that it's only the disturbed Catherine Black. Now, to work." ~*~ "Hello," said a voice. Nicolas jumped about a foot in the air. He turned around. A figure appeared in the shadows. It was a woman. Her long shimmering brown hair fell about her shoulders. Her brown eyes were like polished wood with golden specks in them. Her lips were a perfectly tinted red. Her makeup was even. Her silky skin seemed to glow in the candlelight. She had a perfect figure. "Um. hi." Said Nicolas, shifting his weight nervously. "I am Catherine Black. Have you heard of me?" Cate said in a soft tone, willing him to notice her every whim. "No, I haven't, Catherine." Nicolas said. He was drooling a little. Cate smiled with her straight, white teeth. She caressed his cheek. "I am surprised." She said, softly in his ear. He started to pant. "I-I'm Nicolas Turner." He stammered. "I know," Cate said, cupping his chin in her hand. "Wow." he breathed. She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. His knees buckled. He didn't notice that she had just magically taken most of his will power. "You have a choice to make, my dearest Nicolas. You can either stay here with this loud and noisy family, or you can come with me." She said. She ran her fingers through his hair and pressed her body close to his. She kissed him lightly again. "I will bring Meagan here and you can make the choice." She clicked her fingers and Meagan was suddenly there. She looked as if she were about to kiss someone. "Huh? Cate." Meagan growled. She was wearing a tight white dress that sparkled. Her hair was twisted into a shining knob at the back of her head, and was hanging there with an enchanted hair ornament that looked and acted like a real butterfly. Her lips were a careful shade of light pink. She was wearing no makeup. White high-heels made her look taller than she usually did. "Our friend has a choice to make." Cate said, stroking Nicolas's cheek, "He can either stay with you, or he will come with me. He will make this decision." Meagan's eyes became cherry red. "You know about him. You know he can stop our powers. You're going to use him against us!" she accused. Cate made a hurt face and kissed Nicolas on the cheek. "Now, now, that is not nice, is it? Don't you agree, Nicolas?" she said. Nicolas, a dreamy look on his face, nodded. "Nicolas! No! She's the Dark Angel of Light! She'll take you and use you! She'll torture you!" Meagan shrieked. He looked bewildered for a moment. He was about to say that he'd go with Meagan, when Cate kissed him again. With that kiss, she removed all of his free will. "I'll go with Catherine." He said. "So be it." Cate said. "Noooo!" Meagan screamed as Nicolas was taken away. The minute they appeared at Cate's house, Cate looked pregnant again. Nicolas's free will had also returned. He looked around him and blinked. Then he realized what had just happened. Cate laughed her evil laugh. "You are mine now, you foolish boy. Your power is mine. I will stop the Created Heirs once and for all!" she shrieked, and laughed insanely. Nicolas turned and tried to run away, but Cate clicked her fingers and he was trapped like a rat. She clicked her fingers again and a cage fell and clanged to a rest around Nicolas. "Noooo!" Nicolas shrieked. He grabbed the bars and put his face against the bars. "Let me go!" he pleaded. "Not until I find out what lets you stop the Created Heirs!" Cate said, and started toward him with her wand raised. He screamed. 


	28. Dreaming

(Brace yourself. It's LONG beyond all reason. I somehow managed to type this all amidst my busy schedule. So enjoy! Be prepared for anything. It actually might confuse you a wee bit if you don't pick up my small hints in the foreshadowing thing. Any-whooo. Without further ado.)  
  
Chapter 28: Dreaming  
  
On a dark and lonely hill that overlooked all the other hills for many miles, there stood a gray house. The paint was peeling, and the windows were broken, and the woodwork was beginning to decay. In the large yard, with the rusty metal fence as a border, the grass grew high, as no one ever trimmed it. Behind the house there was a cemetery, which was large, and held many magnificent headstones. An eerie fog was ever hovering around the whole premises, and not many dared to visit their deceased loved ones.  
  
Alone the house stood atop the hill. As has been started before, very few dare to go near the house. The cemetery and the fog is not the cause of this, but instead a rumor. A rumor (or is it a legend?) tells of an old woman who dresses in black at all times. It tells of her long white hair that is drawn back into a bun, and it tells of the pointed black hat that sits atop the woman's head. But more importantly it tells of her eyes. Eyes that were a bright hazel green color, with small flecks of red that accented them. Those who looked into her eyes were lost forever, physically and mentally.  
  
But her eyes are not always the key to her power. The Legend tells that those who look upon her live a half-life, cursed and lonely, even if you see nothing of her eyes. They say that she is neither living nor dead. Her piercing hazel eyes, pale white skin, silvery hair, and clothing of billowing black are more than capable of looking upon. But there was always something else. No one was ever able to put a finger on what it was though. They were never the same after seeing her.  
  
Legend tells that she lives atop the great hill with her husband, a man with an equal sense of foreboding. It is an unfortunate event for people to find out that their loved ones are to be buried in the cemetery. People of lesser importance are laid to rest there, and it is said that the pair guards them forever more.  
  
But what no one ever came close enough to find out was that the woman's area of Black Magic was not concealed deep in her eyes, but that most affected by her Evil have never laid eyes upon her at all. She alters their dreams, and frightful nightmares, and visions scar many for life.  
  
This woman is called the Dream Witch. It is believed that only her husband knows her true name. But it is always possible that there are others. Not a soul knows if she has an heir, or even a child. They don't even know if she is real or not.  
  
~*~  
  
Deep in the gray house, a light flickered. In the night, it shone through one of the broken windows, lighting up a strip of the lawn that was not maintained (just like the rest of the lawn). Inside the house, on one of the lower floors, the Dream Witch stood in front of a large cauldron with a spell book open, and many jars that held ingredients for her potion sat on shelves near her.  
  
The Dream Witch's thin lips were curled into a wiry smirk, and strands of thin ashen hair fell in her face. The red flecks accented her hazel green eyes, and they darted across the room. Looking into the book, and looking up again, she carefully poured a silvery liquid into the cauldron. It bubbled, and then the Dream Witch spoke. Her voice was chilling, low, and raspy.  
  
"One the past forever haunts, the future plagues another. The two are bitter enemies, and nothing seems in common. Look deeper then, and you shall see, the terror settled in." With those words, she threw the root of a plant into the potion, and it turned red, and shone on her face, creating the illusion that her pale face had turned a deadly red. "The past can never change, my friend, but holds so many clues. The future still may alter but for better or for worse? For the two shall see the haunting secrets that future holds, and past."  
  
She uttered words that were too ancient and too magical to be translated. The potion bubbled, and it seemed to be less in amount than it had been before. This potion sat over no fire at all, but still it seemed exceedingly hot and unable to touch. Beads of sweat dripped down the Dream Witch's face, as she spoke the next part of her rhyme.  
  
"To the two it seems but naught a dream, and very wrong they are. More frequent episodes shall come, and odd enough they are. To learn the past and future us a dangerous affair, two alone they are cursed, and no control they have. The only way they can escape is to never have a lie-down."  
  
The potion was neon green now, and it seemed that there was barely any at all left. The Dream Witch was breathing heavily and the wrinkles that fell across her primeval face were very much visible. She poured another liquid into her concoction, and this one was a deep amber color.  
  
"All their lives they've been hunted, and narrowly escaped. But this shall linger always, as long as they shall live. For this the two shall have to thank. the one who exists no more, in this world or the next. The Dream Witch from the past."  
  
The Dream Witch cackled, and into her potion she poured a two small vials filled with blood. The potion bubbled some more, and there was a sudden bang. Smoke filled the large room, and the shadow of the Dream Witch was cast upon the wall. As the smoke cleared, the red in her eyes was seen vividly, and she looked into an empty cauldron.  
  
"It worked." She breathed, and then as her eyes rolled back into her head, she swayed uneasily. Her old bones not holding her up any longer, she fell to the floor, no longer conscious.  
  
~*~  
  
Nicolas watched Cate closely. She was the only one in the room, aside from him. Her dark eyes darted all around, and looked up, down, left, and right. Occasionally her gaze pierced him, and he felt a pain deep in his heart.  
  
But more often, she cried. She cried for no reason, he thought. He knew nothing of her life. Nothing. His time in the caged space gave him time to think, though. Cate was pregnant, and he wondered where the father to the baby was. Perhaps he is dead. Thought Nicolas. I should think the Lady would then have yet a reason to shed tears.  
  
"Just tell me!" Cate shouted. "And your suffering will end!" Her dark eyes were glinting gold, and she shuddered suddenly, and began to breathe harder. Her voice was shaky, and her fists were clenched.  
  
"I know not of what you speak, Catherine." Nicolas answered. He truly did not know what she wanted. "I am suffering not at the moment. Only in my heart."  
  
Cate started to shake all over. She too was suffering in her heart. Shouting foul words, she pointed her wand at Nicolas, and he instantly felt pain up his left arm. As he rolled up a tattered sleeve, he found that there was now a long bloody cut running up it.  
  
"Think it over again." Cate said. With that, she left the room in tears, a shaky mess. Nicolas sighed. Was he forever bound to a life like this? He was beginning to think he was, when he heard the window creak open.  
  
"Who doth go there?" He called, looking at the window with his gray eyes. He shook his head, wondering if his eyes deceived him. A small girl hoisted herself up, and fell forward on the floor. Her hair was dark brown, and her eyes were a deep chocolate color flecked with small bits of gold. She stood up, and dusted herself off. She seemed very short. Nicolas watched her curiously. He saw a bit of a resemblance between the girl and Cate.  
  
"Okay." She said, wrinkling her nose. "First of all-Who are you?" She looked at him closer. "And why d' you smell so rotten?"  
  
Nicolas raised his shaggy eyebrows. "I am Nicolas Turner. I have been feeding the pigs their daily slop, by order of my mother. Whom, might I ask, are you?"  
  
"Err." Paige said stupidly, looking around for pigs. She considered it a blessing that she saw none. "I'm Paige Pugnare. Why do you talk so funny? What year are you from, 1020?"  
  
"Correct you are, young lady." Nicolas said. Paige's jaw dropped. She scratched her head, and looked at him again, her mouth still open.  
  
"Well then." said Paige. "Did my mother lock you in this here cage- thing?" Paige asked, not daring to touch the bars. She was still giving Nicolas a strange look, and keeping a safe distance from him. "Do you want me to let you out, oh strange one?"  
  
Nicolas nodded eagerly. Paige was looking around the room for a key of some sort. He decided that he liked her much more than Cate. She seemed cheerful and sweet. Paige decided to talk to him while he looked for the key to the cage.  
  
"Well, I'm not much like my mother, thank God. I'm more like my dad, I suppose. I miss him so much! Oh, did you know that he was killed? Then he came back as a ghost, and then something else happened to him. My mother's a wreck, I think there's something wrong with her, and she's also pregnant. That leaves me to watch Jack, he's my little brother, and he turns 2 years old this August. But he usually bothers the dog, and is relatively easy to entertain. My sister is like my mum, though. She's evil, I tell you. She tied me to the Christmas tree, and it caught on fire, and my mum wasn't happy. Other than that, I've had a good Christmas. My sister's name is Felicity, and I also have an older brother named Ethan. He's in his 6th year at Hogwarts. He likes to cause all sorts of trouble, and his friends are my mother's twin brother and sister, Brynn and Bryce Black and some boy by the name of Mac. It's a long story of how this all came to be and such. I might explain it later."  
  
Nicolas nodded, pretending to know what Paige was rambling on about. "What is your age, my young lady?" He asked. Paige smiled, and stopped burrowing through a desk to answer him.  
  
"Oh. I'm nine." She said. Nicolas wondered is she was going to stop talking. But as she started her search for the key in the closet, she began rambling again. "Don't tell anyone this, or I'll have you put back in this cage. But, my best friend is Nita Potter. My mother hates her mother, Meagan. They fight all the time, and there are all sorts of complications and whatnot. But we aren't supposed to be friends. I just hate that! It's so unfair and all. I wish my mother wasn't such a control freak! I can't wait until she has the baby. By the way, the baby is going to be a girl, and her name is going to be Faye. Anyway. I think she'll be much less crabby. But I wish my daddy were back! I miss him too, but everyone fusses over my mother! Just because she's a wreck, doesn't mean they should ignore me!"  
  
Paige flopped over on the floor, starting to cry. Nicolas stared at her. He'd managed to catch a few words of what she had been saying. "There, there, little one. 'Twill all be okay. Just keep joyful, and time shall mend all."  
  
Paige wiped the tears from her eyes, and smiled at Nicolas. "Can I call you Nick?" She asked.  
  
"If that be your wish," Nicolas said to her. "I've been taught what a nickname is." He said as knowledgably as possible.  
  
"Interesting." Paige said, starting her search for the key again. "That's a little weird. Your nickname is Nick." She shrugged. "Oh well."  
  
Nick cocked a brow at Paige, and tilted his head. She giggled, and quickly went back to her search for the key. All while still rambling on endlessly. "You see, my other friends are Bridgett, Dominic, and Max. And of course Nita. I'm related to Bridgett and Dominic, but it's a complicated situation. Max is Mac's little brother. Mac is my brother's friend, and he's also Brynn boyfriend. We met Ricardo Cortez, we call him Rico, but he's a slime ball. None of us like him. He thinks he's so great. But he's just a big loser. Oh!" Paige gave a squeal as she pried up the floorboard and held up a golden key. Nick smiled at her. "I found it!"  
  
"Go on then, put it in the keyhole!" Nick urged. Paige stuck her tongue out at the corner of her mouth, as she always did when she did tasks of the sort. She turned it slowly, and the door to the cage sprang open and Nick walked out quietly. "Your mother mustn't know I'm free."  
  
"Ah, she won't. Not at the moment. She's gone someplace. She never returns shortly, either. One time she left us for days. She took my father too. We were left with my grandparents. I'll tell you, that's quite an experience." Paige said, quietly opening the door and motioning for Nick to follow her. "I lived with them for nearly a year. My mum and my dad were both at Hogwarts. They took Jack with, because he was just a tiny baby then. But now he can do quite some damage."  
  
Nick hardly heard anything Paige had said, for the beauty of the mansion astounded him he found himself in. There were many gorgeous portraits on the walls. It seemed that they were moving. Back in 1020, the pictures did not move. They stood still, but the magical colors were beautiful, in his opinion. But this was beyond anything.  
  
Paige gave him an odd look as he marveled at the beauty of the walls in her home. She had to drag him away from the portrait of a beautiful summer day that looked as if it were from the past. Nick nearly gasped as he saw the completely marble staircase. He reached out and touched it, then ran his hand over it. He liked the smooth feeling. He was used to the rough wood that was in his house.  
  
"Oh come on." Paige urged him on, grabbed his arm and leading him down the first flight of stairs. "Don't tell me you've never seen a mansion like this before."  
  
"Begging your pardon, young lady, but I have seen a mansion that nearly replicates your residence exactly." Nick said thoughtfully. "I've only laid eyes upon the interior of the manor once, and that was with Sir Godric Gryffindor. Tell me, Paige, how old is your home?"  
  
Paige shrugged. "I dunno." She said, not really caring. "My grandfather says it's over a thousand years old, and that it's been kept nice because of magic. He knows all the secret passageways in this place, even though he didn't grow up here. This is my grandmother's old home, and she passed it on to my mother, and she and grandpa built a new mansion across the road."  
  
Nick looked around thoughtfully. His legs were getting tired from going down all the steps. The end of the last flight neared, and at the bottom a magnificent floor was laid. It was many marble colors, and it was very well polished. Paige jumped the last few stairs, and slipped on the floor, and was rubbing her bottom as Nick set foot in the room.  
  
"Err." Paige said, pulling herself to her feet. "This is the ballroom." She didn't need to explain anything to Nick. It all looked so familiar to him. The pillars seemed to be made from gold, and the ceiling seemed to reach to the sky. A stunning chandelier was hanging from it, and the many diamond facets made the light seem to gush out from it. The walls were painted splendidly. Nick stared in awe. This place was definitely familiar.  
  
"D'ya want something to eat?" Paige offered softly. She was sick of him staring at her house. Nick just shook his head. At that moment he abruptly took off in a dash into the living room. "Hey!" Paige shouted, sprinting off after him. "Where do you think you're going?"  
  
When Nick finally stopped running, Paige had followed him into the dining room. He was looking at one of the pillars closely, and appeared to be examining it. He gasped, and motioned for Paige to come and look at what he'd found.  
  
"Oh, what is it? Paige groaned, walking around the pillar to see what Nick was amazed by. There was something carved into the marble. It was difficult to read but she was able to make it out. Godric Gryffindor it read. Paige raised her eyebrows. Nick pointed lower on the pillar, to a spot near the bottom. Paige ducked down, and read the small letters that had been carved there. NT.  
  
"This manor once belonged to Godric Gryffindor. Those are my initials. I carved them with a dinner knife while he was currently not present." Nick whispered excitedly.  
  
"Oh." Paige said dully. "Well isn't that interesting."  
  
Nick stared at her for a moment before pulling her back up. "You're very fortunate to have such a place of residence. This house was very much similar to that of a magnificent castle."  
  
"Okay." Paige said dismally. Then a thought seemed to cross her mind. "I've got to show you to Nita! I've got a person from the past. But first I have to teach you some tricks. and the way you've been talking the whole day has been annoying me. Too many fancy words. Follow me!"  
  
Nick didn't need to follow Paige. She was dragging him off someplace. On the way to the place she was taking him (he didn't know where) he saw an interesting event. There was a small child and a dog. Then there were suddenly two dogs. When he looked back again, the small child was back, and the second child was gone. He didn't say anything to Paige; this was probably an everyday occurrence in her life.  
  
"That's just Jack and Padfoot." Paige said, noticing he looked back. "Nothing exciting." Jack giggled, as he toddled over to the edge of the room and watched Paige drag Nick by. "But just come on. This will be fun."  
  
~*~  
  
"She thinks at night she can escape, the horrors of the world. To live alone, and die alone, is that what fate may hold? But night comes fast, and she shall see just how wrong she was. Her dreams will haunt her, torture and taunt her, so sleep is no escape. Escape however is a key that makes her lead her life. Soon sleep will become a dream gone horribly wrong."  
  
The Dream Witch looked out her window, into the distance. She was watching nothing in particular, but was just staring into the distance. The sun was setting behind the hills and the trees, and an orange light engulfed the entire sky. The Dream Witch watched the sun set. The sunset was quicker than usual, as if she had been forcing the sun to go down.  
  
Her peculiar eyes surveyed the room she was inside, and she quickly grabbed a black cloak off the coat rack, which held three more black cloaks, and a silver one. Looking around again, she threw the cloak over herself, and made out the door quickly.  
  
The Dream Witch held out a wand, and light instantly poured out. She walked down the rigid stone path that must have been well kept at one point, and opened the rusty gate. It creaked, and she shut it slowly. Then she dashed as quickly as her old body would allow for her to do to the other side of the hill. To the cemetery.  
  
A sharp metal fence enclosed the Graveyard as well as her house. The grass grew long here too, and after she had opened the gate, she walked through it. Dodging many graves, careful not to step upon or harm any in a way, she came to a halt at a large headstone, and the light dimmed down. This grave was in better condition than the other graves. The grass near it was trimmed, and flowers grew near it. There was no mold on the stone, but in the dark the words written upon it were not visible. The Dream Witch then did something most unexpected. She dropped to her knees and wept.  
  
~*~  
  
Cate groaned, and held her stomach. She didn't feel well again. Sitting in the kitchen, she looked barely able to move. There were several empty plates in front of her. She looked to her large belly, and started to talk to it.  
  
"I've spent 9 months with you already!" she said to her stomach. "If it hadn't been for that stupid prank of Meagan's, you would have already been born! But oh no. your life had to start all over again! Who thought up the complications of being an heir, anyhow? Now I must suffer through another two months of being pregnant! I can hardly move as it is!"  
  
She gave a massive grunt as she stood up. "Now where have my children gotten to?" She made a disgusted face, just thinking of where a 1½ year old and a 9 year old could have gone.  
  
Cate looked out the kitchen window to the setting sun. "Darling Paige had better be home before it's dark." She sighed. "Or she's in for it this time."  
  
~*~  
  
'Nita!' Paige mind-waved. 'I'm coming over, and I'm bringing someone over with me. Is your room clear?'  
  
'What?' Nita responded. 'Yeah. Just a second.' Nita looked out the window. There was no sign of the twins. She had gotten the windows sound proofed by her parents a while ago as well. Ah, the marvels of modern magic. 'Okay. Come on over.'  
  
A second later, Paige appeared with Nick at her side. "Lookit this!" She squealed. "Look what I taught him to do! Come on, Nick. Do your thing!" She elbowed poor Nick in the side as well, just for a touch. Nita stared.  
  
Nick rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. "Wazzzzup, dawg?" He said dully. Nita fell to the floor laughing. It looked as if she could hardly breathe. With Nick's accent, the words sounded extremely funny. Paige stood up taller, proud of herself.  
  
"I've been teaching him modern phrases." She said as intelligently as possible, after one had taught a boy from the year 1020 to say "Wazzzzup, dawg?" and then looked at Nita. "Oh, and by the way, his name is Nicolas Turner. But his nickname is. Nick!"  
  
"I. Know!" Nita said between laughs. Her glasses had fallen off her face, and Nick and Paige were just blurry figures now. After a bit she managed to pull herself together, and she stood up to explain. "He was here at my house for a bit. My mother cleaned him up, but he still insisted that he wear those hideous clothes he's got on."  
  
"Why was he here?" Paige asked, but she didn't give Nita a chance to reply. "My mum had him locked up in a cage! I let him out, and I've taught him how to talk like us now!"  
  
"Yeah, dude!" Nick said. He was trying to sound as much like Paige and Nita as possible. Just listening to Paige talk for a half an hour, he swore he had learned every word in the modern English dictionary.  
  
"You taught him how to say the word dude?" Nita asked, fighting a laugh. Paige nodded. She still seemed rather proud. "So why was he at your house again?"  
  
"Uh." Nita said, but Nick interrupted her.  
  
"I stand right here, yet ye two young ladies talk of me as if I am merely a project and not here at all." Nick said, falling back into his old accent and way of speech.  
  
"Well, Nick." Paige shrugged. "You are a project."  
  
Nick gave a fluttering sigh. A little girl was dragging him around because she had freed him from his cage, and she taught him strange words, and her friend laughed at he. Somehow, the deal just didn't seem fair to him.  
  
"For your information, your mother," he turned to Nita. "Managed to get me here, and your mother," He looked at Paige, "has bound me to her forever."  
  
"Oh." Paige shrugged. "That explains things." It didn't, really. Both girls were entirely confused and befuddled. "But I suppose we best get back home. It's starting to get dark out, and my mother will have my head if I'm gone, and so is Nick. I'll see you later Nita!"  
  
Nita waved, as Paige and Nick disappeared. Then she went back to sulking about the news of Angelina being a deaf Squib. She had been looking forward to teaching the three babies magic before the twins got to them. But it now seemed as if only two of them were going to learn magic now."  
  
~*~  
  
Tiira sat in the living room of her house with Venire and their son. Venire sat straight in an emerald armchair, and the young boy was on the floor, playing with a set of magical blocks. There was a small castle constructed near him, and he gleefully toppled it over.  
  
"The people at the bottom of the hill have a little girl." Tiira informed her husband, as the two watched their son play. "She's four. He's just a year older than her." She nodded towards the little boy. "I went for a visit today. A woman with long straight light brown hair answered. I couldn't help but noticed the bruises on her arm. I introduced myself, and then the little girl stepped out from behind her mother. Oh, she was a pretty child. The mother seemed like a sweet person; slightly shy perhaps, and the little girl looked afraid. I was about to set up a play date, our children being the only ones in the area, when a tall man with sandy blonde hair and gray eyes stepped forward. He quickly informed me that the little girl couldn't play, and then he slammed the door in my face. I didn't know what to do, so I left. But I just don't know, Venire. There seems to be something horribly wrong at that household."  
  
Venire sighed, and looked at Tiira. "Tiir, I have told you zis before. Do not meddle in ze affairs of ze other people. Zey can be dangerous." His dark brown eyes were focused entirely on her now. "Wit ze baby on ze way, and our son, nothing should happen to you."  
  
Tiira half smiled at him. "I guess you're right." She said softly. "But I feel so bad, because the little girl probably lives in an abusive home. and the mother could have a better husband. I want that for everyone, Venire. I want everyone to love someone like I love you. Love is a powerful emotion."  
  
Venire said nothing, but he smiled at her. Then they both went back to watching their son play, and commenting on how good he was at everything. They were a happy family. Tiira and Venire didn't deserve to die. But at the moment, they were alive. They lived vividly, and they answered the door when they heard someone knocking.  
  
The little boy hid behind his parents' legs. There was something terrifying at the door. In front of Tiira and Venire stood a pair of vampires, and what appeared to be their son. Tiira stood breathless, clutching the golden necklace she wore. She had suddenly gone very pale, and all the light in her hazel eyes was gone.  
  
The young vampire stepped into the house, and Tiira and Venire's little boy peered around their legs at him, his dark brown eyes wide with fear. He was shaking, and the vampire's black eyes were starting to make him feel queasy. He took off as fast as his five-year-old legs could carry him, leaving his parents with the pair of Vampires and their son.  
  
With a poof, the young vampire boy disappeared, and a bat flew around Tiira's had, then headed off in another direction. Tiira stared at the couple of vampires, and Venire pulled his wand from his pocket. Tiira's hand still clutched her golden necklace. The charm, or whatever was on it was tucked beneath her shirt.  
  
"Don't make me take it out!" She cautioned. "Or you'll be sorry you came here."  
  
The pair looked at her, and bared their fangs. Tiira's hazel green eyes brightened, and she pulled the necklace out. What was on the end of it could not be seen, for there was such a blinding flash of light that the night sky was illuminated, and everything was completely visible, much as it is in the daytime.  
  
The vampires shrank in fear of daylight, and they seemed to disband on the spot. Tiira tucked the necklace back in her shirt, and looked shakily at her husband. "They aren't gone for good. They just can't take much light." But they both sighed in relief, not noticing the absence of their son yet.  
  
The little boy had gone to a dark corner on the other side of his house, near the back door. He hugged himself tightly, and tried to stop from shaking. He'd seen vampires before and had come to the conclusion that they were scary. He heard the sound of wings flapping, and it was gradually getting louder and louder.  
  
Soon there was a bat in the room, and within a minute, the bat was transformed into the vampire boy. The boy looked straight at him, with his black beady eyes. His hair was also black, as were his clothes, apart from the bit of red on his shirt and cape. His skin was pale white, and it reminded the little boy of snow.  
  
"My name is Regere." He hissed. His voice was chilling. The little boy said nothing to him. He just continued to shake in fear and sit in his corner. "You can be my friend. We can live forever, you know." He bared his fangs, and the boy screamed, pushing Regere the vampire boy aside, and making a break for the door.  
  
The little boy wasn't sure if Regere was following him as he ran away. Soon he looked back and his house seemed very far away. But that was all right with him. There were vampires there. He just kept running. Looming closer to him was a gray house with peeling paint that sat atop the largest hill in the area. He saw a rusty metal fence, and made his way to the gate. It creaked as he opened it.  
  
Quite out of breath, as it had been a long run for a five year old, he walked slowly up the beaten path. The door to the house was open slightly, so he pushed it open. Slowly peering inside, he discovered that the house was a wreck. An eerie light was at the end of the hallway. This place was scary too. He was just about to turn and run back home when-  
  
"What have I here, my poor little dear?" A low raspy voice said. It sent shivers down the boy's spine, and he turned to face a pale old woman with white hair who was dressed from head to foot in pure black. He stood gaping, trying to say something, but he couldn't. But the old woman had more to say. "You're supposed to be here, in fear, yes in fear. My future I hold in your hands my dear. When you're dead and gone, hope still lives on, in another close to you. Much do you hold on your now small shoulders."  
  
The little boy screamed, and tried to turn around and leave, but he backed into the wall instead. The old woman watched him for a moment, and a thoughtful expression crossed her face. She drew a knife, and a small vial, and she cut his arm. Blood dripped out and fell into the vial. The little boy screamed louder.  
  
Just as the boy thought the woman was going to kill him for sure, or maybe cook him in the oven, the door flung open, and hit the wall with a crack. Tiira was standing at the door with Venire at her side, and she looked livid. She pushed the old woman aside, and gathered her son in her arms.  
  
"Leave him alone. Don't take out your grudges on him! He's innocent!" Tiira shrieked at the woman. "Because I'm not like you doesn't mean you can take my son! You have no right! I'm no longer your child!"  
  
"I haven't any business with you, Tiira my child." The old woman said. "Nor your son, but with events concerning your son's future."  
  
"I see your riddle!" Tiira yelled. "If you dare mess with his dreams, his mind, or anything at all, I'll finish you off. Parent or no parent, I still hate you. You tried to ruin my life long ago. Leave my child alone."  
  
"Very well." said the old woman. Her hazel green eyes were flashing red. "Then another's life shall become a living Hell. It already is, and always shall be, but you Tiira brought it upon you and me."  
  
Tiira turned on her heels and left. Venire shot a glare at the old woman, and quickly followed his wife. The old woman was left alone. "Then the Dream Witch shall begin a new project." She cackled evilly, and left the hallway, reciting riddles and rhymes to herself.  
  
~*~  
  
Cate woke up, breathing hard. Her dreams were starting to come back. Her dream had again involved Tiira, Venire, and their little boy. There were also three vampires and an old woman. This time she didn't have Bellum to comfort her. She couldn't help feeling that this dream had something to do with her as well, though she was not in it. It was a strange feeling.  
  
But she wasn't the only one who was having strange dreams. Someone she now hated with all her heart was having other dreams. Different dreams, in every way. Somehow they held more of a terror.  
  
~*~  
  
In the large living room in the Potter house, the entire Potter family sat happily, chatting with each other. A large Christmas tree stood in the background, bedecked with fancy ornaments, and glowing candles. But everyone present seemed older. They seemed a few years older.  
  
Neil sat by himself in a corner, looking around nervously, pretending to read a book. Nita and the twins were playing Wizard's Chess and were engaged in a verbal battle over whether or not Jo and Jess had cheated. The triplets appeared to be about 5 years old now, and they were busy stacking the gifts under the tree into large piles. Harry held a small child in his arms, and Megan was talking to Crystal.  
  
"I can't believe my 7th year is nearly half over!" Crystal squealed. "Then after this. I'll be on my own in the world!"  
  
"No. you'll always have us, darling." Meagan smiled at her. "No matter what."  
  
"Well, I'm glad of that." Crystal said. She gave Neil a strange look. He was now watching her closely. As soon as he noticed that she saw him, he went back to pretending to read his book.  
  
There then was a knock at the door. It was a very fast, and loud knock. Meagan motioned for everyone to stay and continue talking, and that she would get the door. She made her way to the entryway, and hummed as she pulled the door open. She looked forward, and there was no one there.  
  
"Hm. That's strange." She said. She was about to leave, when she looked down. At the doorstep there was a small bundle. Meagan gasped, as she picked the bundle up. There was a baby inside that looked less than a month old. "Oh my God." She choked out, as the baby opened its tiny eyes. They were emerald green. The baby looked up at her, and its eyes turned purple. Megan nearly dropped the minuscule child.  
  
"Harry!" she called. "Come here! Quickly!" She unwrapped the baby from the bundle, and discovered that there was a note inside. The baby was definitely a girl, judging by the pink clothing, and the way she looked.  
  
With the baby close to her, she quickly read the note, and her face went pale. Her mouth was completely open. Harry was at her side now, with an older baby in his own arms. She handed him the note, her hand shaking as she passed it to him. She looked towards the corner, and 8 curious children were peering around it. She stared at them all.  
  
Harry gasped, and nearly dropped the toddler in his own arms. "There's no possible way!" He said. "There just can't be!"  
  
There was another knock at the door. Meagan lunged, and pulled it open quickly. She faced a very dazed Cate and Bellum, along with a small girl who was clinging to Bellum's legs. She looked at Meagan with a pair of hazel eyes, and then quickly hid behind Bellum, and all that was visible of her head was a bunch of thick, wavy, dark brown hair.  
  
The whole Potter family stared at Cate and Bellum. Cate held a letter in her hands, and she looked at Meagan, who held the baby. Cate didn't look as if she were ready to kill Meagan. In fact, she looked as if she were looking to her for help.  
  
"You- you got a letter?" Harry stammered. Cate and Bellum nodded. The little girl that was close to Bellum started to bawl. She howled into Bellum's robes, and he kneeled down to comfort her.  
  
"Faye, there's nothing to cry about, sweetie!" He said softly, patting the small girl gingerly. "Daddy's here for you."  
  
"Then it's true." Cate said softly to Meagan. Meagan nodded. Cate looked at the Potter children. "May I see the baby?" She asked. Meagan handed her the small child, and Cate started to cry. Faye howled louder, and Bellum hugged her tighter.  
  
"One of my children has got a lot of explaining to do." Meagan said. She looked at the children. They all cowered back. Each one had an equal look of terror on his or her face. Cate rocked the baby, while biting her lip nervously. Faye's crying made the baby start to cry as well.  
  
"Bellum, take her home." Cate said to Bellum. "I'll discuss this with the Potters."  
  
Bellum looked at her and shook his head. "No. I've got to be here."  
  
"I'll take Faye." Crystal offered, stepping forward from around the corner, and tripping over Neil, who was frozen where he was standing. "Maybe I can make her calmer."  
  
"Thank you." Bellum said. "I don't think it'll work. She's cried non-stop since she was little. But we might as well try."  
  
"To the living room." Meagan pointed at her children. "We all have something to discuss."  
  
Cate handed her the baby once more, and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry about this." Cate said. Meagan gave her a look that told her quite plainly that everything was fine.  
  
"There's nothing to be sorry about." Meagan told her. "Perhaps we should be happy of this event." Cate bowed her head, and followed everyone into the living room where everyone sat, waiting the verdict of this strange event.  
  
~*~  
  
Meagan woke with a start, and hopped out of bed. Harry was still asleep. It was a strange dream she had just had. She shook her head, telling herself it was only a dream. Taking a few deep breaths, reminding herself that it was only a dream. But she still wished that she knew what the note with the baby in her dream had said. She wished the dream had made any sense at all to her.  
  
"Only dreaming." She repeated to herself. "You've had weird dreams before Meagan. why would they worry you now?" With that she slid back into bed and drifted off into another uneasy sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Felicity tapped her short red fingernails on the table softly and glared across the Great Hall at Crystal. Blick and Malicia were on both sides of her, and enforced her glare with two more death glares of their own.  
  
"Really, what is their problem?" Crystal sighed, looking at Brian, Fred, and George so she didn't have to look back at Felicity. The boys were all arguing over some small thing as the usually did.  
  
"McGonagall does not have false teeth!" George argued. Crystal rolled her eyes. The three boys were still oblivious to the fact that she had said something.  
  
"Yes she does!" Brian said in defense. "I saw her take them out after class once. Right, Crystal?" He looked over to her, and found that she seemed again not to be paying attention to him. "Crys?"  
  
"Oh." Crystal said, pretending she hadn't been paying attention. The boys had ignored her for a few moments. She was only returning the favor. "Did you say something, Frostbite Boy?"  
  
Brian turned red. "My frostbite has gone away now. My mum decided she was sick of my whining, so she healed it." He stuck his nose in the air, and crossed his arms. Everyone laughed.  
  
"Well, the bell's going to ring soon." Fred said. "Are we going to be on time for class today?" The Modern Day Marauders were only on time for class if they felt like it. Except for Snape's class. They were careful not to be late for that.  
  
"We've got Snape this morning." Crystal groaned, still feeling Felicity's steely gaze upon her. "It might be best if we were on time for that one."  
  
The four sighed heavily. Just the thought of class with Snape was enough to ruin their day. But the picked up the bags, and joined the rush that led to the flooded hallways full of people trying not to be late for class.  
  
A few seats down, Neil sighed to himself, and picked up his books. He had been reading one of them while he had been eating his breakfast, and found that it was too good for him to put it down. Throwing a few things into his bag, he slung it over his shoulder, and walked off, with his nose still in his book.  
  
"Your brother is seriously strange," said Brian, eyeing Neil closely. "Now he's reading and trying to get to class at the same time. He's going to trip over his own feet, and when he does, I'll laugh at him."  
  
"He's not strange." Crystal said, pausing to search for words. "He's just a little. different." She shrugged, looking at Neil again. Then she flinched as she caught a glance of where Neil was wandering, with his eyes still focused on his book. "He's going to run straight into Felicity!"  
  
And indeed he did. Papers flew everywhere, and both Felicity and Neil fell to the ground. Crystal slapped her forehead, wondering what Felicity was going to do to her poor younger brother. He was her only brother too, so she hoped whatever was going to happen wouldn't be too terribly twisted. But Felicity only grumbled, and glared at Neil as Blick quickly pulled her to his feet. She looked back at him once before she headed off down the hall in the opposite direction.  
  
Neil groaned, and pawed around for his glasses. He found them in front of them, and as he put them on. Crystal came into focus, and she handed him his bag. Brian, Fred, and George were gathering the spilled contents of it.  
  
"Isn't she awful!" Crystal fumed as she pulled him to his feet. She placed her hands on her hips and glared in the general direction of Felicity. No one said anything in reply. "Honestly! Running into you like that and not even telling you she was sorry! Someone needs to teach her manners!"  
  
"It's okay Crystal." Neil said, staring at his older sister. It seemed that she disliked Felicity so much that even the little things she did were worth complaining out loud about. "I'm fine. Nothing's wrong with me."  
  
"Whose side are you on anyway?" Crystal asked him. Brian rolled his eyes and handed Neil his bag. Everyone around them could practically feel the hatred between Crystal and Felicity.  
  
Neil stared at Crystal for a bit more, then preceded to walk down the hall. There was no escaping Crystal though. He discovered that she and her friends were close behind him. "Why do you hate her so much, anyhow?" He asked her, as long as the subject of conversation was on Felicity.  
  
Crystal was at a loss for words momentarily. "Because." She said lamely. "She's just so similar to her mother. She'll end up just like her mother and we don't want that! We're just natural enemies."  
  
"Maybe you just misjudged her." Neil shrugged. Crystal opened her mouth and successfully achieved the look of a fish out of water. "It's not like you've ever even talked to her or anything."  
  
"Oh, and you have?!" Crystal shot back. She hated being quarreled with, especially by her own younger brother. "You can't judge people either, Neil. Just keep your shady little opinions to yourself and we'll pray you grow up to be a normal person."  
  
Neil shrugged, and kept on walking, as Crystal turned off at the corner. He heard Brian whispering to either Fred or George (he couldn't tell the difference). "Neil 1, and Crystal 0!" He chuckled, then there was a screech, and Neil had to chuckle, wondering what Crystal had done to Brian.  
  
He pulled out his book, and started to read again, on his lonely road to class. Instead of his usual bookmark, something else marked his page. It was a note scrawled in a small neat handwriting. He knew whom this note was from instantly. Felicity didn't just bump into him for no reason.  
  
I want my mirror. Read the note. Meet me at the gazebo in the sky. Midnight. Neil gave a fluttering sigh. He had left the mirror there. Felicity had obviously made the assumption that he had taken it. He wondered if she had even gone to see if it was there herself.  
  
But nonetheless he was going to meet her. Perhaps she had something interesting to say. Wondering if she'd try and throw him off the edge this time, he soon found himself right where he didn't want to be. In front of the door that led to Professor McGonagall's class.  
  
~*~  
  
Many believe that the shadows hide secrets. In most cases, that statement proves itself true. Shadows can hide true identities and what lurks there is usually wicked and can strike at any moment. Some fear the shadow, but others thrive upon its secrecy.  
  
In a particularly shadowed spot near an abandoned house there stood a man. His form was visible, but none of his facial features. It was impossible to tell who he was. But his hair was clearly messy, and it stuck up in certain places. He wore glasses, and was also visibly skinny. He paced the area nervously, as if waiting for his own doom.  
  
Then a woman's form appeared out of nowhere. She was shorter than the man, and her voluptuous body was a clear shadow, due to the fact that her clothing was tight. Her hair seemed to be slightly fanned out, and it fell beyond her shoulders. The man stopped pacing when he saw her, and quickly hurried over to her.  
  
"It's been too long." The man said, taking her hand. "I've lived without you too long."  
  
"And I without you." The woman said. Her voice was soft and soothing. When she spoke, the man seemed to settle down instantly. "I'm sorry I chose this path now. I could have been with you. It's all I want, and all I ever wanted."  
  
"But we can't be with each other." The man sighed, squeezing her hand tighter. "The world won't allow us to. Everything is so against us. We aren't even on the same side. You're bad, and I'm good. I would have joined you."  
  
The woman had had her head bowed the entire time, but now she raised it, probably to look into the man's eyes. She kissed him softly on the lips, and took his other hand. "I know you would have." She whispered tenderly in his ear. "But I couldn't let you do that. I couldn't let you ruin your life like I ruined mine so long ago."  
  
"But I still love you." The man said. He kissed her forehead, and the woman bowed her head again. "I love you more than anything. Do you still love me, or in our time apart have you found another to bestow your affection on?"  
  
"I still love you!" The woman cried, suddenly breaking out into tears. The man bit his lip and pulled the woman close to him so she could cry on his shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair, and whispered soft words in her ear.  
  
"What about-" he started.  
  
"He's dead. And you know it!" The woman sobbed. "He's dead and it's entirely my fault. But it's okay." She lifted her head up to look the man in the eyes again. "I never loved him. It was in the past. I love you. I've spent all these years loving you."  
  
"Then why did you just leave?" The man asked, with a small hint of anger in his voice. "Why did you leave your family? They need you. You could have at least stayed for your children."  
  
The woman was still crying, but she didn't break her gaze into the man's eyes. "Because I had to." She choked. "I had to. There was no escape this time. Nothing anyone could have said or did would have kept me out of prison, or away from a Dementor's Kiss. I ruined my life."  
  
"I would have stood by you, no matter what. If you had died, I would have died as well. I haven't seen you in 10 years. I'm still willing to go with you." The man gave the woman a shake, and she looked at him.  
  
"I told you this already. I won't let you ruin your life. Faye was still little when I left. She always cried when I was around. I remember it well. It was summer. I couldn't stand it any longer. I'd had enough of my father trying to help me, and my mother's constant fretting. I just wanted to escape. Why did I pledge myself to him? There was a pain in my heart when I left, and I could hear Faye crying. It was awful, and I don't know why I didn't come back. I don't know why I didn't go to you."  
  
"I always pictured you as a smart person." The man said in reply. "That was one of the few moments where your intelligence failed you. Besides, you couldn't have gone to me. I was caught up in family troubles as well."  
  
The woman swallowed, and kissed the man again. If the expression on her face had been visible, it would have showed complete sadness. "Speaking of which." the woman said slowly. Then she lowered her voice even softer as she spoke her next words. "How did Meagan take it?"  
  
There was an awkward silence as the man searched his mind for the correct words to use. He took the woman's hands yet again, and squeezed them tightly. "I'm still in shock that I'm still alive." He said. The woman flinched.  
  
"I'm so sorry." She said. "I'm sorry for everything. I broke everything. It just shattered. In my family and yours. I've never said sorry to anyone in my life that I recall, especially a Potter. But now I wish more than anything that I wasn't who I am. It means I can't have you." Letting go of the man's hands, she put her own hands around his neck and kissed him. His hands found their way to her waist, and soon the two were crying together.  
  
"I can't say goodbye to you." The man blubbered. "But I can't just let you go without a goodbye like last time." He touched the woman's face, and wiped a tear that was running down her cheek. "Just stay for a while longer. I need more time with you!"  
  
"I can't." The woman said. "Our paths have taken us to separate roads. I said I'd love you forever, and I will. But they say if you love someone, you have to let them go. It's for your good. You can't go with me."  
  
"I know I can't." The man said. "I'm just asking you to stay for the night with me. I missed you so much. I missed the smell of your hair, and your soft skin. I can see the curves of your body when I close my eyes. I just need to be with you for a night. Can you pretend for a night that nothing is wrong in our lives, and that nothing ever has been?"  
  
The woman swallowed and managed to choke out, "I think I can."  
  
With that, the two disappeared, and a fog closed in upon where they had stood. The shadow was all they had. Pretending to be what she was not was the only way the woman could be with the man she loved. There are many like that. If not for the shadows that masks the face of the truth, many things would not be possible.  
  
~*~  
  
"Crystal! Crystal wake up!" Brian said frantically, giving Crystal a shake. Her eyes fluttered open, and he came into focus. She realized that she was on the floor of the dungeon, and there was a circle of people around her. Brian had a tight grip on her arm, and was kneeled next to her on the grimy floor. Once he realized she was conscious he promptly let go of her arm.  
  
"What happened?" Crystal groaned, sitting up slowly. Brian pulled her to her feet, and Crystal found that she felt slightly faint. By the look in Brian's eyes something weird had happened. She remembered two people talking in the shadows. They hadn't seen each other for a long time, in what she gathered. Their images popped back into her mind and she felt a shock go through her body. Those people just couldn't be who she thought they were.  
  
"You passed out!" Brian said, glaring at the onlookers in the dungeons. They were totally silent, and staring at Brian. "Lucky Snape isn't here, or we'd be in a good deal of trouble."  
  
"It seems, Mr. Black, that Lady Luck is not with you today." Said a slimy voice from behind Brian. Crystal was giving him a look that told him exactly who was behind him. The person he least wanted to be behind him in any occasion, and especially this one. Severus Snape was ready to give out a detention and take points from Gryffindor.  
  
Brian turned around slowly, not wanting to face Snape. Snape wore a wiry grin on his face, and he seemed to smell his fear with his exceptionally large hooked nose. "Just kidding, Professor." Brian said weakly.  
  
"Take your seats, all of you!" Snape barked. "And for disrespect to a Professor Mr. Black has lost Gryffindor another 20 points. Also note, Gryffindors that yet another 20 will be taken as none of you were in your seats when I entered the room. If I recall correctly, the bell rang five minutes ago. Is that right, Miss Potter?"  
  
Crystal nodded. "What was that?" Snape barked at her. Crystal didn't want to lose more points for Gryffindor, so she responded quickly out loud. Her head hurt and she didn't feel too well. But there was no way of getting away from Snape. She was going to have to suffer through Potions class. As if she hadn't hated it enough..  
  
~*~  
  
"No!" screeched the Dream Witch, who had been watching everything through a mirror on the wall. "The girl is not supposed to see! She should not see what is to be!"  
  
The Dream Witch's eyes turned a lurid red, and the green disappeared entirely. "Nothing should go wrong with my spell!" Her old bones creaking, the old woman left the room that contained a large cauldron, the mirror, and other magical artifacts, and set off to find a curse to make things right.  
  
Crystal having that dream clearly infuriated her. Something was not right.  
  
~*~  
  
Amidst the stars and the clouds, the Gazebo in the sky seemed so peaceful. The moonlight seemed to make it shine, and the platform was bright. In the middle of it, on the ground, there sat a mirror. It was golden and looked old.  
  
Neil Potter gave a sigh as he picked it up. Felicity hadn't seen for herself that it was there all along. Neil looked around in a circle. She wasn't there yet. But that gave him time to sit by himself and think. But he couldn't think. Not when the temptation to look in the mirror kept growing.  
  
He closed his eyes and raised it. When he opened them again, his father's reflection stared back at him. He jumped. It was weird. He wondered why Felicity wanted it back. Perhaps it was valuable? Or was what she saw in it more of a value to her?  
  
"Tell me, Neil..." Said a soft voice. "What do you see when you look into that mirror?" Neil didn't need to turn around to tell who had asked him that question. He blushed scarlet and was too embarrassed to turn around and face Felicity himself. He looked into the mirror again, and his father's reflection smiled at him.  
  
"I see my father." He said slowly, as if an unseen force had gradually pushed him into saying it. "And what do you see, Felicity?" He found that he was now standing, and he had turned around. A little surprised, his eyebrows were raised, and Felicity gave him a funny look.  
  
"I see my mother." She said, bowing her head. "Do you know what this mirror shows you?" She asked. Neil noticed that she was shivering, wearing only red silken pajamas. Neil shook his head. "It shows you who you desire to be, or be like. I feel shadowed by my mother, and I suppose my desire to be better than she was has turned into a desire to become more like her."  
  
Neil didn't say anything. He really did want to be like his father, but he didn't want to be exactly like him. He handed Felicity her mirror, and she smiled. "I knew you didn't have it." She said. "In fact, I came and got it. But I put it back."  
  
"Why?" Neil asked, a slightly bemused.  
  
"Because I was curious to hear what you saw." Felicity answered. "It's an interesting thing, and you can tell a lot about a person if you know who they idolize. Already I can tell that you want to be a brave person. You want to be loved by most people, and you have a sense of adventure hidden behind that shy look you've got."  
  
Neil bit his lip. It was almost as if she had read his mind. But he would have known if she had. Any mind reader could sense his or her own mind being read. She seemed to automatically feel what he was thinking. "I can tell things about you too." He said. Felicity nodded for him to continue. "I can tell that you want to be known by all. You want people fear you. No, I take that back. I was wrong. You want people to love you. You want attention, and you want to fall in love. You want what your mother had with your father more than anything. But you're determined not to make any mistakes. Not like your mother did."  
  
Felicity smiled. "You're pretty good at this." She said. "It's taken me a long time to learn the way people think. I can tell what you want, what you like, and everything you think about. And I don't have to read your mind. I can sense it. Everyone probably could, if they taught themselves."  
  
"Um, thank you, I guess." Neil said, squaring his shoulders and blushing. It was indeed as if her eyes could see straight to his soul. He believed that she was complimenting him.  
  
Felicity gave a colossal sigh and sat down on the ground, lookin out into the endless array of stars. Just out of curiosity, Neil tried to sense what she was thinking. This time it wouldn't work for him.  
  
"I can let you feel my emotions only if I want to. If I don't want you to know what I'm thinking, then I won't let you pull the trick." She stated. "Control is something that needs to be practiced. Take my father, for instance. He never learned how to control his powers, so he never used them."  
  
Neil sat down next to her. Now he felt safe while she was around him, instead of the usual frightened feeling he felt before. She really was just a normal person. "I still can't get over the fact that you don't talk to your own friends." Neil said to her.  
  
"I told you before, they aren't the talking type. I don't know anyone who is. I can't talk to my mother, oh no. She's an insane wreck at the moment. I could talk to my dad. He was so. good. Everything he did was a comfort, and he reminded me how life really was worth living. He's got a way with Jack, and my mother is always calmer. I miss him, Neil. I miss my father."  
  
"Well we both seem to have problems." Neil sighed. "One of the triplets." He cut off. He didn't know if he wanted to tell Felicity. But he did anyways. "Is a squib. That and she's also deaf. It'll make life hard around the house. I feel so bad for her. I feel bad because I have power, and she doesn't. She won't have the privileges that we do."  
  
"Well at least she's still around." Felicity shivered. Neil took notice again that she was wearing only thin pajamas. "I'm sure you'll find a way to sort everything out."  
  
"D' you want my cloak?" Neil offered shyly. Felicity shrugged, and eagerly took his cloak as he handed it to her. "It is January. I suppose you should have dressed a little warmer."  
  
"Yeah. it's a fault on my part." Felicity said, sounding much more content now. "Oh, and thanks."  
  
"No problem." Neil shrugged.  
  
Felicity gazed at him for a moment. "Why are you so nice? I've spent all this time bickering with your sister, and I knocked you down today. Yet you seemed sympathetic to the fact that I was cold, and offered me your cloak."  
  
"It's just the way I am." Neil said. "I feel that it's my duty to be nice to those that need a little help."  
  
"You're just a nice person." Felicity said. "I sometimes wish I could be like that. But are you happy? Does it make you feel content that you can always help people, no matter how bad the situation?"  
  
"Yes." Neil said. "I suppose I am happy. A little lonely, perhaps, but happy." He looked at Felicity and smiled. "I never figured you were a lonely person. But it seems that we have more in common than we bargained for."  
  
"I suppose." Felicity shrugged. "I've honestly enjoyed your company. I never would have thought. you being a Potter and all. But I guess I can't just judge everything from a distance."  
  
There was a long silence, and no one said a thing. Up in the sky, there were no sounds, and neither Neil nor Felicity dared to disturb the peace at the moment. The night sky was clear and black. The stars glistened like diamonds in the sky, and the clouds around the gazebo seemed to be swirling around them.  
  
"This is how life should feel." Felicity said. "Not a care in the world. It should be serene and beautiful. But I've learned that nothing is perfect. But this place comes pretty damn close."  
  
"Yeah," said Neil. He had been thinking the same thing. If only his life would be a bit more peaceful it would be better. "But I suppose I'll get going. It's late and I have Potions tomorrow. I guess I'll see you around sometime."  
  
"Goodbye." Felicity waved as Neil disappeared. She sighed deeply, and a few seconds later, she was vanished as well.  
  
~*~  
  
In a castle fashioned of stone Tiira sat by herself and looked out the window of her room. From her window, the Eiffel Tower was visible. Tiira looked younger now. She appeared to be about 16 or 17, but that wasn't all that seemed different about her. She didn't seem happy. There was no smile on her face, or brightness in her hazel green eyes.  
  
She sighed heavily and picked up a framed photograph of a couple. It was in black and white, and was of a man and a woman. The woman had light hair, and the man's hair looked dark.  
  
"Oh, why can't you be like you seemed to be back then?" Tiira asked the picture quietly. "Mom and dad." She gave a miserable sigh and flopped over on the bed in her room. The world seemed to spin, and she had to sit up to escape the dizziness.  
  
"Tiira!" Called a voice from outside her door. "Your father wants you."  
  
"Tell him I don't care!" Tiira yelled, hoping she yelled loud enough for her father to hear her. The person outside the door sighed loudly.  
  
"He says he needs to see you." The person said, starting to get frustrated. "Now!"  
  
"Go away, Vir!" Tiira hissed. "I'm not coming out! If my father wants me, then he can come and get me!"  
  
"Fine then." Vir replied. "I'll tell your father that you're being your usual pretentious little self and are refusing to come out of your room for an unknown reason."  
  
"Then go!" Tiira shrieked. "I don't care."  
  
She crossed her arms and stared out the window again. Several minutes later, without warning, Mors Vox appeared in front of her. Tiira stuck her nose in the air and ignored him. His red eyes were focused on her. "I told you I don't want to see you!" Tiira spat.  
  
"You cannot deny your own father a visit." Mors said in his usual chilling voice. "You haven't been yourself lately, my child. You haven't any desire for creating terror. You refused to kill the innocents. There's something wrong. What happened to the daughter I used to have?"  
  
"Mother killed her." Tiira said hatefully. She turned away from Mors, and picked up the photo. "And what happened to these people?" She asked him, suddenly spinning around and shoving the picture in his hands. "What happened to the handsome young man and pretty woman that used to be my parents? All your evil ways have changed your appearance. Look at you now. Your skin is ghostly white, and your eyes are red. They used to be brown. And mother looks as if she's an old lady already! Do you think I want to be like you? Do you think I want to marry a slime ball like Vir? Do you think I want to age before my time comes? That's what your evil does to you. You're not even human any longer. You're a monster! And you're my father! Well not anymore!"  
  
Tiira spat right in his face, and marched out the door. She was leaving. She was never coming back to the castle. She needed to find something pure. Something good. Earlier that month, she had been Tiira the evil daughter of Mors Vox. Now she was different. Something inside her yearned to be good. Something wanted to make a difference in the world.  
  
"Tiira, where are you going, without my knowing? The world is not a place for one with such a pretty face." Said a low raspy voice that would have sent shivers down the spines of most people. Tiira halted, as she faced a white haired woman with pale skin who was draped in all black. Her eyes were a haunting hazel green with flecks of red.  
  
"Leave me alone, mother!" Tiira screamed. "Just face it, mother. I'm not like you any longer. I'm not evil. I'm not the Dream Witch or the legendary Mors Vox. My name is Tiira Vox, and I shall never degrade myself to your level again. I'm sick of all the crap that goes on here. This place is depressing. I want to be happy. Don't you?"  
  
The Dream Witch stared at her daughter thoughtfully. "Then go, Tiira. Desert your path to greatness and you shall be sorry one day. Walking off the path may prove deadly. You're only taking the shortcut to your death."  
  
So she left. Tiira sprinted as fast as her legs would carry her to get out of the castle. She couldn't stand the dark putrid place any longer. She had no idea where she was going, but she was leaving. She was going to do good in the world. She'd try to make right what her parents had made wrong.  
  
She was panting heavily as the city of Paris loomed closer to her. She could hardly run any longer. Her legs ached and there was a sharp pain in her side. But she had to keep running. She was going to get away. That meant running until she could run no more.  
  
Tiira decided not to go directly into the city. There were too many people that would stare at her. The countryside was a better choice. It was much more secluded, and beautiful. It was peaceful and serene. It was also a good enough place for her to pass out from exhaustion.  
  
When she woke, she heard voices. No! She thought. They found me! I don't want to spend the rest of my life in that castle! But when she opened her eyes, she discovered that there was only one person. One voice. A handsome man with dark brown eyes and blackish brown hair was kneeled over her, dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth.  
  
"Ah, you're alive, miz!" He said with a heavy French accent. Tiira was still too exhausted to speak. "I thought zat zere was no hope for you."  
  
Tiira struggled to keep her eyes open. The man seemed fully aware of fact that she was hardly awake. He opened her mouth and poured some sort of cold liquid down her throat. Tiira instantly felt energy returning to her.  
  
"Who are you?" She asked him. She didn't want to sound rude, but it was the first thing that came to mind. She had to make sure he wasn't one of her father's men that had been sent after her.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked her in reply. "I believe zat you should tell me first, as I did save your life, miz."  
  
Tiira sighed. "My name is Tiira." She said. That was all she was going to tell him. He raised his eyebrows, and nodded at her.  
  
"Bonjour, Tiira. My name is Venire." He smiled at her, and pushed her back down as she tried to sit up. "And you, Tiira, are still too weak to move about ze house."  
  
"No." Tiira said. "I feel fine."  
  
"But you nearly died." Venire objected. "Ze dead middle of ze summer iz no time to run until you collapse. Please, let me take care of your for a few days. It iz my wish."  
  
Tiira smiled back at him. She rather liked him. He was sweet. Far sweeter than anyone she had ever talked to in her life. If she stayed with Venire for a while, she could see how good people went about life. She was sure he was good; he saved her life.  
  
"Fine, Venire. You may take care of me." She smiled. He beamed back at her. "As long as you promise you'll be good company. Tell me stories about the world, and kiss me goodnight before I go to sleep."  
  
Venire chuckled. "I think I can do zat." He looked at the clock on the wall. "Ze time has come for your goodnight kiss. It iz nearly midnight." Tiira smiled at him, and he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.  
  
He leaned back, but Tiira pulled him closer to her and kissed him again. "You deserved a kiss more than I did." She said. "I owe you something, don't I?" Venire was breathless. Tiira released him, and he stood up slowly.  
  
"Wow." He breathed. For a few seconds he looked as if he'd won the Quidditch Cup with an amazing play at the end of the game. "I'll be looking forward to zat every night now." With that, he stumbled off to a room of his own, seemingly quite delighted.  
  
Tiira smiled. She definitely liked being good so far. The small bed she was laid upon was comfortable. The small room was cozy and homelike. Home like the home she never had. And she found that she couldn't wait until morning, where she could talk more to Venire. He was so different than everyone she had met before. He was better.  
  
~*~  
  
Cate opened her eyes and looked up at the velvet scarlet canopy above her bed. She'd just had another dream about Tiira. It was starting to drive her crazy. She needed to know who Tiira Vox was, and the last name of her husband. Perhaps the little boy was still alive! She could find him, and make a connection between her and his parents.  
  
But how was she going to do this? She didn't know much. She'd only had three dreams that involved Tiira. But the hill where Vir killed her was so intolerably memorable to her. It had been the hill where she had gone to be alone when she had to escape the world as a child.  
  
But at the moment, Cate wasn't going anywhere. She didn't have the strength to pull herself out of bed. The sun was starting to rise, and she could hear Paige moving about the upper floors, doing whatever she did. Cate gave a huge groan, and mumbled something about being pregnant, and drifted off to sleep again.  
  
~*~  
  
Tiira appeared to be feeling much better at the moment. Her wavy light brown hair was clean, and her hazel eyes were shining. She had changed from her old attire, and was wearing a long white dress. Tiira had always been fond of the way she looked. She was determined not to turn like her parents did.  
  
At this moment she sat on the grass in front of Venire's house. It wasn't a large house, but it was comfortable, and the yard was beautiful. The French countryside was more beautiful than anything Tiira had ever seen in the castle. It was undisturbed, and looked as if no one had ever set foot there before. Wild flowers grew in the grass, and the sky was a light blue. The clouds were like cotton balls that seemed so soft she almost wanted to travel up and take a catnap on one.  
  
"It's good to see zat you like ze yard." Said a deep French accented voice from behind Tiira. Tiira smiled, and her whole face lit up when she sprang to her feet to greet Venire. "You seem much happier."  
  
"Because I am!" Tiira said gleefully. "It's wonderful here! You're so lucky to have such a beautiful world. All this righteousness surrounds you, and everything is content in its place. Even the soil seems wonderful. This is what my life was missing."  
  
Venire looked into her eyes. "It's not always beautiful, Tiira." He sighed. "I once lived with my family. Zey were kind, and good. But we fought sometimes. Soon ze bickering became a constant affair in family life. Two years ago, I wished zey would all die. I wished that I would never have to see them again." He paused, and tried to swallow so the lump in his throat would go away.  
  
Tiira laid her hand on his arm, and the two sat on the grass. "Go on Venire. I want to know what happened." Tiira had a strong feeling that her family had something to do with this. Venire was silent, so she put her hand on his. It seemed to give him courage enough to go on.  
  
"Zen zey were killed." He said shortly. "I narrowly escaped ze wrath of Mors Vox myself. Take it as a lesson. Be careful what you wish for. Now I live here alone. I had to learn to take care of myself. I was only 16 when zey all died. Ever since, my life has been lonely."  
  
Tiira squeezed his hand, and he squirmed. To her it seemed that Venire was shy, and very sweet. She was unable to imagine him hating his family so much that he wished they were dead. He was too righteous for that. But she knew the feeling. She knew how it felt to hate her family.  
  
"I just wanted to get away." Tiira said. "I'm sorry, and please don't hate me for this, but my family is the root of your plight. I haven't properly explained to you who I really am, or why I ran away." She sighed, and bit her lip. "My name is Tiira Vox. I'm the daughter of Mors and Sommeil. I'm sorry they caused this dilemma. That's why I left. I didn't want to be like them. I want to be good. I want to bring good to the world."  
  
Venire wriggled a little bit. He had actually taken a liking to the daughter of the people that had killed his family. But there was something about Tiira that was so different. He couldn't imagine that she was the daughter of Mors Vox. She was too beautiful, and too lovable.  
  
Tiira looked away, wondering what Venire thought of her now. He probably hated her now that he knew about her parents. They had ruined everything again, and they weren't even there! It wasn't fair for her to be born into a family like that. She was their only child, and they had concentrated everything on her. They were trying to make her exactly like they had been. Just when she had finally met a single human being that she had actually liked, their evil ways had interfered. Venire was so caring, so sweet and gentle, he was handsome, and wonderful. What would he think of her now?  
  
A gentle hand on her shoulder answered the question that had started to set her mind on fire. "It's okay." Venire whispered. "It wasn't your fault. You did nothing. It makes me happy to see you want to be good."  
  
Tiira closed her eyes as the tears flowed down. Venire looked concerned when he realized that she was crying. "What is the matter?" He asked. Tiira smiled at him, wiping the tears from her face.  
  
"Nothing is the matter. On the contrary, everything is wonderful." She touched his face, and then drew her hand back. "I'm crying for joy. I've never cried for the cause of happiness. Thank you. Thank you for not holding anything against me."  
  
"I couldn't do such a thing." Venire said, putting his hand on hers. "I don't feel lonely any longer. Zat's what good does. It forgets the past. I'd like very much if you'd stay for a while longer." He offered shyly. "I'll show you more good. I'll show you what love is."  
  
Tiira smiled. Not once, had her parents told her they loved her. No one had even used the word love in the castle. She didn't know what love felt like, or what it truly was. "I'd like that very much."  
  
"So would I." Venire beamed shyly. He selected a pink wildflower and picked it. Tiira's eyes sparkled, and he put it in her wavy light brown hair. "You're still prettier zan ze flower," he said.  
  
"Thank you." Tiira breathed, not knowing what to say. So at a loss for words, she leaned forward slowly and kissed him softly. "I know it's not time for my goodnight kiss, but I just didn't want to wait." She said, kissing him again. To her, this was true happiness.  
  
~*~  
  
Cate awakened once more, annoyed, sad, and angry all at once. These dreams were eating away at her. What was the purpose? Why was she dreaming about two people that she knew had to already be dead? There had to be a purpose, and she was going to find out what it was.  
  
She gave a grunt and a groan, and managed to drag herself out of bed. Then she felt a sudden rage. Tiira seemed determined to be good, when she had lived a life of evil. Why would she want that? Evil always managed to take whatever is dear to good people.  
  
Then she felt a hint of jealousy. Or was it a pang of heartache? Venire reminded her of Bellum. He was there for Tiira, and he was so sweet and caring. Something inside Cate wanted to murder every happy thing in sight. Bellum had always been there for her, through thick and thin. Now he was gone.  
  
The desire to kill something grew. He was gone. Dead and gone. There was nothing she could do about it. Voldemort's promise now seemed too good to be true. Because it was. She realized it now. But there wasn't much she could do. But a little ray of hope was still alive inside her. It was only a false hope, but Cate had convinced herself that it was real.  
  
But she was going to find out who Tiira and Venire were, and what they did. She was going to find the little boy they had, if he was still alive at all. Then hopefully, the dreams would go away.  
  
~*~  
  
"Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeetention!" Bryce chirped happily. Along with Brynn, Mac, and Ethan he stood in front of Professor McGonagall's door, and was rapping upon it hastily. Each person looked blissfully excited.  
  
A few moments later, McGonagall answered. Bryce supposed it had taken her a while to get from her desk to the door. Her hair was now completely white, and the wrinkles on her face had only seemed to multiply.  
  
"Proof that ignorance is bliss, Mr. Black." She clucked, letting the four eager detention-goers into the Transfiguration classroom. Brynn quickly dropped to the floor sitting Indian-style.  
  
"This will be so much fun, Professor!" She squealed. "Can we stay the whole night? We'll have a slumber party! Just, me, you, the boys, and the creepy paintings on the walls!" Brynn looked at a picture of a wrinkled old man wearing some sort of bathrobe. She didn't know why anyone would want something like that on his or her wall, more so McGonagall.  
  
McGonagall said nothing. She pointed to the black board and handed each mischievous 6th year a piece of chalk. "You're to copy all of chapter 25 in your book on the blackboard for me. Word for word, so I can use it as a reference as I give my lesson tomorrow. Any questions?"  
  
Bryce raised his hand. McGonagall made an irritated face. She pointed to him, and glared, hoping he wasn't going to ask a dumb question like he always did. In class he'd asked her if she knew what head lice tasted like. Another time, when he crossed paths with her in the hallway, he'd asked her what Snape's feet tasted like.  
  
"What does chalk taste like?" He asked, holding out his piece of chalk. McGonagall's face turned red in anger, and she glared at Bryce.  
  
"Taste it for yourself!" She hissed. Bryce shrugged, and proceeded to put the entire piece of chalk into his mouth. She watched in disgust as he chewed, and finally swallowed. Mac, Brynn, and Ethan cheered.  
  
"Hm. it tastes like white." Bryce said finally. "Can I have another piece?"  
  
McGonagall rolled her eyes, and kept the rest of the chalk to herself. Mac curiously nibbled his piece and shrugged, taking a larger bite off the end. Brynn and Ethan were surveying chapter 25 already, wondering what they could do with it.  
  
"Changing animals into humans is a very difficult skill to learn, and is illegal under most circumstances." Brynn read aloud softly. Ethan grinned. Bryce, who was after the chalk she carried with her, was now chasing McGonagall around the room and Mac was rearranging McGonagall's desk.  
  
Changing Professors into humans is a very easy skill to learn. Brynn wrote neatly on the blackboard. They are much like dangerous animals, and only the most skilled of students should attempt this feat. It is completely legal according to this textbook, and schools everywhere should encourage this skill.  
  
Ethan snickered, watching McGonagall try and steal the chalk back from Bryce, who had gotten it away from her easily a bit ago. He thrust a piece in his mouth and chewed. Mac was presently turning all the desks upside down. Ethan picked up the textbook and read the next line.  
  
"Though the transformation is only temporary, it is considered unusual punishment in many countries around the world, and can earn up to two years in prison. This skill is not taught to the common populace, and is learned only by specialists, who put the skill to good use, for their countries' purposes." He read.  
  
The transformation from a Professor into a human being is permanent. One may never again see the crabby old bat who used to hand out homework like Halloween candy, or the Professor who gave detentions to the most innocent of students. They will function like normal humans, and will be much more pleasant than you knew them before.  
  
"How was that?" Ethan asked Brynn after he was done writing his piece.  
  
"Very good. Detentions to the most innocent of students, Eath?" Brynn laughed. "We aren't' innocent.'  
  
"Well, we can pretend." Ethan shrugged. "Bryce almost looks innocent at the moment, due to the fact that he is no longer moving. You could pretend that Mac is innocently rearranging the reminder signs to read rude words off."  
  
Brynn shrugged, and went on to write some more. This skill is now taught to students everywhere, and the British Ministry of Magic encourages the use. The use of this extraordinary spell will forever change the education system.  
  
While Mac occupied McGonagall with Fillibuster's Fireworks, Brynn and Ethan filled the blackboards with other nonsense that had nothing to do with the lesson at all. Words such as 'Rubber Ducky,' 'Crayons,' and 'potpourri' filled the blackboard.  
  
"We're done." Brynn said as innocently as she possibly could to McGonagall, who dodged a firework. "Is there anything else you'd like us to do?"  
  
"NO!" McGonagall shouted. "Just sit still in a desk! Sit still!"  
  
Brynn and Ethan made an effort to drag the unconscious Bryce to a desk, but they then realized that the desks had been overturned. So they made their way to McGonagall's desk, and hoisted Bryce up on top of the desk. Brynn parked herself in McGonagall's chair, and Ethan obtained the seat that was assigned to "special" students who were either not paying attention or were causing trouble. Ethan was used to this seat. He sat in it a great number of times.  
  
Mac, who wasn't enthralled by the fact that McGonagall had threatened to turn him into a slug, eventually joined them and they sat, smiling as sweetly as possibly as they could. McGonagall was frightened by this unusual behavior, and let them go from their detention early, wondering if she was losing her mind.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
Meagan felt herself drifting little by little off into an uneasy sleep. Harry was snoring beside her, and all three triplets were asleep for one moment since they had been born. She could no longer keep her eyes open.  
  
A great primordial castle emerged from the blackness beneath her eyelids, and it felt as if she were flying closer to it. The stones were crumbling to pieces, and the moat beneath the drawbridge was all but empty. In an instant, the inside was visible, and it looked just as old and decayed as the outside did.  
  
What appeared to be a throne room was bedecked with black and burgundy banners that held images of bats and drops of blood coming from their fangs. There were two large thrones at the head of the room. Both had been tall and magnificent at the height of their use, but were now molded wood with torn velvet cushions and golden arms.  
  
The throne room was large, but by no means was it empty. There were two groups of people; both appeared different. The first group was fully clad in all black. Each person had pale white shin, and black hair. A man was situated at the front, wrapped in a black cape. He grinned and bared fangs. The entire group followed his lead. They were all vampires.  
  
The second group was made up of normal people who were considered rather normal compared to the vampires. They were all spaced a few good feet apart from each other, and they were greatly outnumbered by the vampires. At the head of this group stood Bellum Pugnare, staring the vampire straight in his black eyes.  
  
Meagan stood to the side, biting her lip, and looking around constantly. A man and woman with dark red hair stood near each other, looking nothing short of terrified. Meagan's gaze finally fell on the thrones, and rested there for a while. It wasn't the thrones that was worthy of holding her gaze, but who was on the throne that caught her attention.  
  
With her head fallen on her own shoulder, and her skin painted a ghostly white, Meagan hardly recognized the woman as Cate. She was dressed from head to toe in vampire garb, and the long sleeves of her dress touched the floor. She was not awake, but surely was not dead, judging by the rising and falling of her chest. Her lips were blood red, to match the middle piece of her long black dress.  
  
"What do you want with her, Regere?" Bellum inquired softly. His teeth were gritted, and he now had his hands balled up into fists. He was speaking to the vampire at the head of the group, whom was called Regere. Regere said nothing in reply, but started to pace, walking in front of Bellum to anger him.  
  
Meagan's eyes darted to Regere, and he stared back at her. But he turned his gaze to the throne, and watched Cate breathe. This seemed to anger Bellum. "I asked you a question." He said loudly now. "It would do well for you to answer it."  
  
Regere pursed his lips, and uncrossed his arms, thus unwrapping himself from his black cape. He looked to Bellum, and replied this time. "I need a bride. She suits me perfectly. She is beautiful, and powerful. You haven't any idea what a great vampire she'd make."  
  
Bellum's nostrils flared, and he stepped closer to Regere. "You can't take her." He said sternly. "I won't let you." Regere sneered at him.  
  
"Who are you to stop me, mere mortal?" He said smoothly. "Though you have power, it amounts to nothing next to mine. She belongs on a throne. A throne where she will rule all good and evil alike. No one will fear her, but rather they will love her. In less than an hour, all her memory of you will be gone. She will have no idea you exist. She will know no other life than this."  
  
There was a loud blast, and a table broke to a million pieces. Bellum bit his lip and glared. "Then we'll settle this once and for all." He said angrily. "You've got my children, and my wife. Did you expect me to accept this, you miserable waste of space? I'm not a child. I no longer fear you. Tell your kin to be gone. We'll settle this ourselves."  
  
Meagan stepped forward and put a hand on Bellum's shoulder. "I won't let you do that. He'll kill you." She said. She had never dealt with a vampire, but was more than ready to. Bellum merely shook his head. "This isn't just your battle." She said sternly. "It concerns all of us."  
  
"No." Bellum said. "This truly is beyond your power." Regere smirked, as if he found the situation funny.  
  
Meagan frowned. "But you can't-"  
  
"Go find my children." Bellum interrupted. "Take Ferre and Ridere." He gestured to the red haired man and woman. "Please, just listen to me this one time. It's the most you can do. They're locked in the dungeons. You'll have to deal with the rest of these vampires. Faye can't handle this any longer. Just save the children. I'll take care of Regere."  
  
Meagan opened her mouth as if to object. But she closed he mouth as she looked at Cate sitting slumped on the throne. This was more Bellum's battle than it was hers. She removed her and from his shoulder, and motioned for Ridere and Ferre to follow her. The three were soon bolting at full speed down the aged halls, closely pursued by a cluster of vampires.  
  
"One of us will meet their end." Regere said to Bellum, tossing a sword to him. He kept one to himself. "Preferably it will be you. Your pathetic powers are of no use against me. I'm not human."  
  
"That's not to say you don't have weaknesses." Bellum replied, his eyes darting again to Cate. "Besides, who are you to judge my powers?"  
  
~*~  
  
"Meagan!" Harry gave Meagan a good shake. "It's your turn with the triplets." Megan groaned, and opened her eyes. She was clammy and had been breathing heavily. She sat up and looked at Harry, who was looking back at her strangely. "Are you okay?"  
  
Meagan shook her head and stood up. She clicked her fingers and the lights came on. She yawned and walked over to the three bassinets with the babies. "I'm fine." She replied groggily. "Just a funny dream. I suppose it's a side effect of getting very little sleep at night."  
  
And perhaps it was. But one was never able to tell what magical forces alter daily life when you're considered abnormal in the wizarding world.  
  
~*~  
  
The Dream Witch sat alone in a tall straight chair near the fire in her beaten gray house on the hill. Rain was beating down on the surviving windows in the house, and it poured in through the broken windows. Lightning flashed, and the Dream Witch started to shake.  
  
At the exact moment when lightning flashed, and thunder boomed, the door to the living room flung open and crashed against the wall. Several old pictures that hung on the wall fell to the floor, the glass frames shattering. The Dream Witch didn't bother to turn around and face the tall white skinned man that had entered the room. She could feel his red eyes searching her mind for her thoughts.  
  
"You're having her killed!" The Dream Witch shrieked suddenly. She sprang to her feet and faced Mors Vox, who seemed stunned at her sudden quickness. "Our own child! Our daughter! You're arranging to have her killed!" This was the first and only time the Dream Witch had not spoken in a rhyme or riddle.  
  
"She could not be brought back." Mors said softly, his voice making the Dream Witch cringe. "But we're taking her son. Vir will have seen to this already. Tiira will live no more, nor will her pathetic righteous husband. But the boy will have power beyond what any of us can imagine. It would be a waste to leave him. Tiira is no longer a use to me."  
  
"So you have her killed?" The Dream Witch now screamed at him. The fire behind her suddenly grew, and the room began to grow hot. "Your own flesh and blood. You're having her destroyed. And you haven't even the courage to do it yourself! You couldn't bring yourself to kill your child, could you Mors?"  
  
Mors's eyes flashed in anger, and he stared at the Dream Witch. "Sommeil." He hissed. "I had a more important task to take care of. Tiira isn't the only one who will die tonight. You let her go, then you fled yourself. You're to blame for her death."  
  
The Dream Witch gasped, as realization struck her solidly. "I do not die, Mors." She said. "You know that. I can be killed, but I'll roam the world as a spirit until my death is uncovered. I'll haunt you forever. Our grandson's destiny will be changed drastically. Remember that just because I am a spirit does not mean I cannot alter the course of events that take place. It also means that I can still concoct potions, and I'll mess with your dreams."  
  
"You do not speak in a rhyme, Sommeil." Mors said smoothly, in his chilling tone of voice. "I see no riddle behind this. But I know the truth. You will remain as a spirit, though I know you cannot leave this property. Here your spirit will stay until the mystery of your death is uncovered. Goodbye, my wife."  
  
Mors Vox, raised his wand slowly, and the Dream Witch started to shake violently. She knew there was no way for her to defend herself, for her magic did not work like that. Her magic was used for the purpose of other people, and did not work for her own defense.  
  
Then time stood still. Mors's mouth was starting to open, and he was about to say the incantation for Death. But all was still at the moment. The Dream Witch was frozen with a look on her face that was not terrified, but ready to take her death. Her life would not end here. She would haunt the cemetery and the house on the hill forever. or until her death was resolved. Whichever event came first.  
  
For a few moments longer they were frozen still, and as time resumed, Mors uttered the fatal words, and disappeared. Indeed, this was not the end of the Dream Witch. it was only the beginning.  
  
~*~  
  
Sirius watched Cate sit on the couch, trembling and weeping all at once. There were dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't seen sleep in a long time. He sighed softly, and rose from his chair. From the floor, he picked up a blanket, and wrapped it around Cate, as he took a seat next to her. She stopped trembling almost immediately, but she jumped by reaction to his touch.  
  
"Life will go on, Catie." He said softly, patting her shoulder. "It's been months now. Do you honestly believe Bellum wants you to be a wreck? Do you believe that he wants you to cry, and ignore the needs of your children for him? He'd want you to go on, and try to live our life. Get off the couch, Cate." He urged.  
  
"I can't." Cate sobbed. "I can't live knowing that he won't. He should be here, not me. He was a good person. Everyone loved him. The children. I can't leave the past behind. You haven't seen the person you loved the most die! You weren't there to witness it."  
  
"I'm watching you die right now, Cate." Sirius said. "You're slowly dragging yourself to your death. You're killing yourself slowly, and all of those close to you. What about your unborn daughter? Do you think this is good for poor little Faye? Cate, tell me Bellum's last words."  
  
Cate's eyes flashed dangerously, and she pushed Sirius to the floor. "Stay the Hell away from me!" She shrieked. "Just stay out of my life! You had no trouble doing it before! You can't help me! You'll never have a place in my heart. Stop telling me it's going to be okay, because it isn't! You can tell everyone to stop trying as well. Nothing can replace the empty spot in my heart. The only one who occupied that space is gone! Just leave me alone before I do something to you!"  
  
Sirius bit his lip, feeling hurt inside. He shook his head, and cast a sorry glance at Cate before he left her to howl and cry alone. Paige stood watching at the door, and she was crying herself. He walked slowly towards her, and wrapped her up in a hug.  
  
"Things will even out eventually, Paigie." He said. "Your mother will come back to reality sometime."  
  
"I just want my daddy back!" Paige cried. "When mum was crabby, or if Jack was crying he always had a way of fixing things. If I was in trouble, he got me out of it. When I felt bad, he made me feel better. I know you try, grandpa, but mum just doesn't adapt well to other people. But I'm glad you're here. I don't know what we'd do without you."  
  
Sirius patted his shoulder. He thought that Paige was probably much like Cate would have been if she'd had a decent family to live with when she grew up. Paige tried as hard as she could just not to cry at every moment of the day. She tried to bring cheer back to the house, but just couldn't reach her mother.  
  
Sirius could no longer take this. It was bad enough with just Cate sitting there as a horrible mess. But Paige was too young, and had been so happy before. Now she was just walking the line between happiness and sadness. Little Jack didn't have anyone but Paige to care for him at the moment.  
  
He could not stand it any longer. He was going to change things, even if it meant his life would have to come to an end. Misery was taking over, and he wasn't about to let it take control. He, Sirius Black, was going to alter the course of the evil.  
  
~*~  
  
Felicity sighed, as she stopped paying attention to the lecture Professor Binns was giving. History of Magic was so dull. Blick looked as if he were sleeping with his eyes open, and Malicia was watching the other students in the classroom intently, probably picking out a victim for the latest curse she was going to test.  
  
Felicity looked out the window, and watched the large flakes of snowfall. It was now nearly February, and it seemed to snow more than ever. She had liked the snow when she was little. Happy memories filled her mind, and she quickly made herself think of something else. Happy was not the way she felt at the moment.  
  
She felt a surge of anger towards everyone. But most of her anger was concentrated on her mother. She hated her mother, and loved her mother all the same, much like she did herself. Ariana Malfoy was also at the top of her Hate List. Because of Dolere Malfoy.  
  
The Dark Mark on her arm felt as if it were on fire. Was it because of her sudden anger? Malicia and Blick didn't seem to be bothered by it. "Miss Pugnare?" A voice cut into her thoughts. Professor Binns was floating a few feet in front of her.  
  
"Oh." Felicity said, coming back to reality. "The Troll Act of 1657." Professor Binns looked please, and he went back to his lecture. Felicity was glad of her ability to know things without even having to pay attention.  
  
She still had Neil's cloak. Why that thought popped into her mind at that particular time, she did not know. Perhaps she'd bump into Neil again. Now that she thought of it, talking to Neil again sounded rather nice. He had an understanding that she didn't understand.  
  
But she needed to write Neil another note without Blick or Malicia knowing about it. Blick seemed to have woken up, and was now watching her intently. She looked back at him, and he squirmed. He was still slightly nervous around her.  
  
Ever since she had kissed him over the Christmas Holiday, he seemed a little more uptight around her. It was as if he had a crush on her, but he didn't want her to even think about it. To Felicity, he was just Blick. He was just simply there, with her to toy with.  
  
For the sheer monotonous feeling of History of Magic, Felicity scooted slightly closer to Blick without Binns knowing, and she watched Blick's face go red, and his shoulders square up. But this was enough fun for Felicity. The bell was going to ring soon. She watched the clock, and shoved her belongings into her bag.  
  
The bell rang and she soon hurried out of the classroom. But no sooner than she was out the door when she crashed into someone, and all her belongings were sent flying every which way.  
  
"Midnight." Whispered Neil Potter, leaning forward to pick up his book. "I want my cloak." He whispered again, reaching for his glasses. Felicity got up quickly, and gathered the contents of her bag. Now she wouldn't have to take time to write another note for Neil.  
  
"Did she run into you AGAIN?" Crystal said angrily, pulling Neil to his feet.  
  
"No." Neil said. "I crashed into her. I wasn't paying attention."  
  
"There's something wrong with you upstairs, if you get what I mean." Crystal shook her head. "Next you'll be saying Voldemort is completely not at fault for anything."  
  
Neil sighed, and let Crystal ramble on some more. Brian shook his head as well, but quickly moved on as he passed Neil. When Neil had played with his mind, it had been more than enough weird mind games for him.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hello, my good Professor." Mac said to Snape, at the start of their detention in the Dungeons. "How are you this fine evening? Lonely, perhaps? Well, your problem is solved!"  
  
Much to Snape's exasperation, Brynn, Bryce, Mac, and Ethan had a whole song and dance number planned for this detention. It ended with a loud bang, and a few bottles of potions shattered. "Lonely No More!" Brynn said. "That's what we've called this song!"  
  
"How thoughtful of you, Miss Black. Perhaps you should bend your thoughts on something more important, such as intelligent conversation, perhaps." Snape hissed. Bryce mocked him behind his back. "And I know what you're doing, Mr. Black!" Snape added, wheeling around to face Bryce, who had on his best 'Angry Snape' face.  
  
When he turned around to face Bryce though, Brynn and Ethan mocked him. He then circled around to face Brynn and Ethan while Bryce and Mac mocked him this time. This procedure went on for nearly half an hour, when Snape decided he'd had enough.  
  
"You're to scour the floors until they're so clean you can lick them!" He ordered, handing each 6th year a toothbrush and a large bucket of soapy water. Bryce raised his hand. Snape knew what was coming. A stupid question, probably about what something tasted like. "What, Mr. Black. Please grace me with an intelligent question."  
  
"What does the floor taste like, when you should be able to lick it when it's clean?" Bryce asked, lowering his hand. "And how do you know?"  
  
"Would you rather lick the floor clean? Without the toothbrush first?" Snape snapped. Bryce shook his head, and handed Snape his toothbrush.  
  
"I think you need this more than the floor does, Professor. Too bad I haven't got any toothpaste handy." Bryce smiled at Snape, and then had to dodge a vial of some foul green potion that was thrown at him.  
  
Brynn scrubbed the floor slowly, spelling out small sentences as she cleaned. On one area of the dungeon floor, "Snape licked the floor clean," was scrubbed out. Mac spent his time drawing pictures of Snape being violently attacked by a rabbit.  
  
Ethan had been assigned to reorganize the potion shelves in alphabetical order. He had scrambled the letters so that the letters S, N, A, P, E, I, Z, G, Y were all next to each other. "I don't know my alphabet!" He claimed, when Snape swooped down upon him, clearly getting the message of what he had meant to spell out. "Seriously, Professor! I was never taught the alphabet!"  
  
"That would explain your inability to correctly write anything down on paper, Mr. Pugnare." He growled, sending Ethan off with a toothbrush to join Mac and Brynn. Brynn had now written, "Snape is a greasy loser" out on the floor, and Mac had scrubbed a picture of Snape eating snails on the floor as well.  
  
Bryce, however, was sitting still, paying close attention to what Snape was doing. "You've found your purpose in life, Mr. Black." Snape grinned. "Perhaps I shall have you play guinea pig to all my newly concocted potions! The Attention Potion seems to have been working well so far." Bryce nodded. "Let's have a look at what the Dancing Potion does."  
  
This was one mistake on Snape's part. As he poured this potion down Bryce's throat, Bryce immediately jumped up on his desk, and began the song/dance number all four 6th years had performed at the beginning of the Detention. Snape shook his head, and brought forth the next potion.  
  
"Pink potion." Snape snickered, pouring the small pink vial of potion down Bryce's throat. To his surprise, nothing on Bryce turned pink. But Bryce looked about the room in wonder.  
  
"Hey, everything is PINK!" He said. "Why, Professor, your hair looks simply spiffing when it's pink! And your robes, your skin, your teeth, your shoes." Bryce named off everything in the room as being pink. Snape shook his head.  
  
"That is the end of your Detention." Snape said, an hour later. The room was practically in ruins, and Snape's hair now really was pink. Brynn, Mac, and Ethan were dragging Bryce out of the room, and singing their newest Snape song. "Two hours with the four of them was two and a half hours too long."  
  
~*~  
  
Nicolas looked around nervously. He had gone back to the room where Cate had locked him in a cage. Paige had given him the spare key, and he kept it tucked in his pocket. He could free himself whenever he wanted, but was afraid of what Cate would do if she found out he was loose.  
  
She had only brought one small meal up to him, but Paige had given him plenty of junk food. She stayed, explaining the various sweets she gave to him, and telling many stories in the process. Once, she had brought Jack up with her, and let him meander about the room. There was something decidedly strange about Jack, Nick thought.  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Cate leaned against the doorframe, looking livid. Nicolas knew what that meant. It was time for his daily dose of torture. But at the moment, Cate didn't look as if she could even move from her spot.  
  
Nicolas said nothing to her, hoping that she might be too tired, or sick, or whatever to even notice he was there. Cate gave a low moan, and her wand dropped to the floor. Her dark brown eyes were dull, and they rolled back into her head, and slowly closed. She slumped down against the doorframe, and flopped over on the floor.  
  
"Cate?" He asked softly, addressing her the way he had seen everyone else address her. There was no answer, and she seemed to be unconscious. "Cate?" He asked a little louder. Now he was convinced that something was wrong.  
  
Nick reached into his pocket, and fingered the key for a few seconds, before he decided to let himself out. The door to his cage creaked, and he tiptoed over to Cate, expecting her to wake up at any given moment, and strangle him. But Cate showed no signs of moving at all. He kneeled down next to her, and checked to make sure she was still breathing. She was, but barely.  
  
He took a look at her. There was no way he, a scrawny boy, could move her. He was going to have to find someone in the extravagant mansion to help him. "Ye good residents!" He called. That didn't seem to work, as there was no reply. "HELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP!"  
  
His shout for help seemed to draw up a more pleasing result. "What is it?" Came an irritated yell from the second floor. A few seconds later, a strange man appeared in front of the doorframe. He looked at Cate, and then looked at Nicolas. "Who are you?" He asked skeptically, bending down to examine Cate quickly. "And what did you do to her?"  
  
"I am Nicolas Turner, and I come forth from the year 1020. Catherine Black has taken me captive." He gestured to the cage. "And who art thou?"  
  
"Sirius Black. Her father." Sirius sighed. "This is the second time today she's blacked out. Did she just look at you for a moment, and then slowly drop to the floor?" Nick nodded. "Well, I'm taking her to the doctor, no matter how much she stresses that she can't go. There's nothing she can do about it now, and I'm not waking her up. Go find the children in this house and mind them."  
  
Before Nick could say anything in reply, Sirius disappeared with Cate. Sirius was a familiar name to him. He had to rack his brain for a moment to recall where he had heard it. Meagan had said his name when she first came to his time. Sirius, Harry, James, and Remus. Sirius was one of Meagan's friends. Cate was his daughter? This was too weird. As if being trapped in a future world wasn't enough for him.  
  
~*~  
  
The Dream Witch walked down a well-kept street. The sign read "Privet Drive." She looked very out of place, walking amidst the brightness in her robes of black, and a hood that covered all of her white hair and cast a dark shadow over her face.  
  
In front of the house that was numbered 4, she came to a halt. She stared at the windows, as if she could see through the curtains. She rustled, as several people stared at her. It didn't stop her from trying to see through the curtains of Four Privet Drive.  
  
At last, a tall skinny blonde woman with a neck like a giraffe came out of the house, waving a rolling pin. Behind her were two boys. One was chubby, blonde, and was eating a cookie. The other boy was small and skinny, with glasses too big for his thin face. Green eyes peered back at the Dream Witch behind the large glasses. She noticed that the boy's messy black hair needed trimming. Both boys appeared to be about five years old.  
  
"Be gone, FREAK!" The woman shouted, waving the rolling pin again. The Dream Witch said nothing, but gazed at the small boy from under her cloak. He seemed to be able to look back at her. There was a sort of understanding between the two, and the Dream Witch turned and left. She would be back later.  
  
As she had planned, later in the evening the small skinny boy was sitting alone in the backyard of Four Privet Drive. As he saw the Dream Witch approach, in her mass of black, and hidden face, he didn't run, but rather looked happy to see someone other than the people he lived with.  
  
"Hello, Harry Potter." The Dream Witch said softly. "Are you lonely?"  
  
The small Harry Potter gazed at her in wonder, and he nodded, wondering how she knew his name. He stood up from the chair he had been sitting upon, and walked closer to the Dream Witch.  
  
"I promise all your problems will go away." She said. "Not now, but later, if time does not sway. Will you help me, for just a small price to pay?" The Dream Witch reached out a ghostly white, but very solid hand and touched Harry's arm. He nodded. Perhaps she was going to give him a lollipop? He never got sweets, and Dudly always did.  
  
"Very good," The Dream Witch said, pulling a lollipop from within her pocket. Harry smiled and eagerly took it. It was as if she had read his mind. He unwrapped the lollipop and put it in his mouth. It was good! It was so very good, and such a rare treat. He was never going to tell anyone about the woman who gave him candy. Not ever. "Now will you pay me, a very small fee?" The Dream Witch said, and Harry nodded, just happy to have sweets. The Dream witch drew a shiny knife and nicked Harry's thin arm. Blood started to drip out, and she caught the drops in a small vial. Harry winced, ready to cry. But he didn't want to wake Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. In a second though, the blood pain was gone, and he looked down at his arm, which was healed completely.  
  
The Dream Witch handed him another lollipop, and then disappeared, waving at him. He had never seen her face, but he saw her red and green eyes. For nights, it haunted him as a nightmare, but he had no one to comfort him. He tucked his other lollipop in his pocket to save for another day. Sometime when Dudly wasn't around.  
  
~*~  
  
"As far as I can tell, she's fine." The Doctor said as Cate slowly drifted back into reality. Sirius noticed her waking, and stepped back, expecting to be blasted out of the room. "The baby seems to still be coming along fine as well. I cannot find a cause for the blackouts though."  
  
"Of course I'm fine." Cate aid, trying to sit up, and recalling the events of the dream she'd had. That old cloaked woman had drawn blood from two small boys. Tiira's son, and Harry Potter.  
  
Sirius leapt forward and pushed her back down gently as she started to sit up. "I know you're the best Doctor in the world, but I'm not sure." He said to the doctor. The doctor sighed, and ran his fingers through his gray hair.  
  
"Listen, please." He said softly. "For nearly 17 years I have had your daughter as a patient. Taking care of your entire family and hers is so time consuming that your two families are my only patients. I know what happens in her body when she's angry, when she's happy, and when she's pregnant. She always has dreams, and if I may assume, I'd bargain that she's just had another."  
  
Cate tried to speak, but found that she could not. So she nodded, to show the doctor was right. "And something similar happens to her oldest daughter. She blacks out when she's feeling evil. It's a psychological flaw, and nothing can be helped. Remember that Cate is physically perfect, but there is something that has been flawed in her mind."  
  
The doctor crossed his arms and glared at Sirius. Sirius sighed, and nodded. "Now you can go home." He snapped his fingers, and Cate found that she could suddenly move much easier, and speak as well. "Remember, Cate, that you are due to have your child March 12th. Just relax, and try not to become too stressed."  
  
Cate nodded. She really didn't like the doctor too much. She always had the sinking feeling that if she went to the Doctor's office, they would find something wrong with her, or with her baby. Sirius pulled her up, and she exited the hospital with him, not saying much about anything."  
  
~*~  
  
Neil sighed, looking out into the endless array of stars that appeared so close to him now. He looked at his watch. It was 12:01. There was a small rustle behind him, and he said, without looking back, "You're late. It's 12:01."  
  
"Not by my watch," Felicity replied, tossing Neil his cloak as he turned around to face her. "Yours must be fast." Neil laughed, and draped his cloak over his shoulders, glad to have it back.  
  
"If you care to know, I had to travel to the Greenhouse without it. I nearly froze, and everyone asked me where my cloak was. I had to tell them that I couldn't find it, and I looked like an idiot without it."  
  
"Well, you are the one who lent it to me." Felicity shrugged. "And at least you've got it back now." She crossed her arms under her own cloak. She had dressed warmer this time.  
  
A sudden urge to look into Felicity's memories came over Neil. He then remembered that she could tell if he was going to play with her mind. Just by looking at Felicity, Neil could tell she already knew what he was going to do. "Well, can I then?" He asked, feeling it better to ask before he went ahead into her memories.  
  
"Can you what?" Felicity asked, her dark brown eyes flashing gold, and catching the light of the stars. She was going to make him say aloud that he wanted to play mind games.  
  
"See your memories." Neil said shortly. Felicity pursed her lips. Oh come on. Neil thought. Just let me have a peek! With a careful glance, to Neil, Felicity nodded.  
  
"I suppose." She said. Neil smiled, and looked directly into he deep brown eyes. Neither person blinked, and they both seemed to be connected by an unseen chain. Felicity tried to look away, but she couldn't. Neil tried to blink, but found that something was wrong. This wasn't working! It was as if neither of them had any control over their bodies now.  
  
Felicity tried to yell, as she landed next to Neil softly in a small room that was white from ceiling to floor, with no windows or doors whatsoever. "What the Hell was that?" She managed to choke out. Neil looked completely stupefied.  
  
"I- I don't know!" He said. Something was wrong, and he hadn't been able to get inside Felicity's mind. "It didn't work!"  
  
Felicity didn't say anything after that, but looked at him with a new curiosity. "Okay. Neil said finally, unable to hold his gaze back at her any longer. "We're going to try this again. Just relax your mind. Don't think about anything. Now look into my eyes."  
  
Neil half expected Felicity to look the opposite way, and fill her head with many thoughts, but she looked into his emerald green eyes, standing perfectly still. She was now unable to blink, and Neil felt the connection again. He couldn't move either.  
  
The two landed hard on the gazebo platform, and were thrown backwards to the ground. Neil stood up, still a slight bit stunned. Felicity pulled herself to her feet, and looked at Neil curiously again.  
  
"What did you just do?" She asked. She didn't order him to explain, but she merely asked, and quite nicely at that.  
  
"I tried to get into your memories." Neil said, pacing around. "But I couldn't. Something weird happened." Felicity nodded, and watched him pace. There was now something weird about her too.  
  
"Well, we should go back to Hogwarts now." Neil said finally. Felicity nodded, and waved. "Goodbye." He said, as she disappeared. That was one mind trick he wouldn't try again for a long time.  
  
~*~  
  
"It's adventure time!" Bridgett said, putting a metal cooking pot on her head, and looking to Paige, Nita, Dominic, and Max. They all stared at her. Paige grabbed a spoon and hit the pot with it. There was a ringing noise, and Bridgett swayed, looking rather dazed. "That was some adventure! When are we going to visit the purple kitties again?" She said, and then fell over on the floor.  
  
Nita took the metal cooking pot off her head, and took the spoon from Paige. "That's enough of that, you two." She said, putting the items on the counter. They were all gathered at Max's house, and were running out of things to do.  
  
"I bet Reeky Rico would like a visit." Max said. "We haven't tormented him in a good while." It had been since the party celebrating the birth of the Potter triplets that they had all been together.  
  
"I don't even want to go near that piece of slime." Bridgett said, standing up. "I saw him more than I cared for during the Christmas Holiday. His sister and my brother are dating, and my parents decided it would be nice if the Cortez family came over. Of course, it was total chaos. Brynn hates Reina, and I hate Rico. It was the most chaotic thing to happen over Christmas, apart form the snowball fight."  
  
The other four 9 year olds shrugged, and headed out the back door, off to pay Ricardo Cortez a visit. Bridgett gave a frustrated sigh, and followed them across Max's yard to the Cortez house. Paige beat Nita to the door, and knocked. A tall tanned woman with sleek black hair answered.  
  
"Is Rico there?" Paige asked her cheerfully. The woman looked at her.  
  
"RICARDO!" She shouted, with a heavy Spanish accent. "You have visitors!" She turned to the five children at her door. "Just a minute, children." Paige smiled at her, as the woman went off to fetch her son.  
  
Bridgett shuffled, and pulled her cloak tighter around her. She laughed, as she realized that Dominic's mittens were clipped to his sleeves, so he couldn't lose them. Nita's glasses were now covered with what seemed to be frost, and Max's nose was bright red. Paige was shivering. She'd forgotten to bring a cloak.  
  
"What do you pathetic excuses for humans want with me?" Rico snarled, as he came to the door. Beside him was a boy with a hooked nose, shaggy greasy hair, and dull blue eyes. He eyed up the people at the door.  
  
"Are these. the ones?" He asked Rico. Rico nodded with disgust. "Which one is which?"  
  
"We can introduce ourselves to this piece of filth, thank you." Bridgett said.  
  
"I'm Paige." Paige said, crossing her arms and shivering.  
  
"I'm Nita." Nita said, rubbing her glasses on her cloak, trying to defrost them.  
  
"I'm Dominic." Dominic said, glaring at Rico and the other boy, who were laughing at his mittens being clipped to him.  
  
"I'm Max." Max said irritably. "Your next door neighbor, Rico."  
  
"And I am Bridgett." Bridgett said finally.  
  
"The worst of them all." Rico added.  
  
"And who are you?" Bridgett, Paige, Nita, Max, and Dominic said at once to the boy beside Rico.  
  
"Incidere Snape." The boy said. Bridgett immediately broke out into a laugh.  
  
"Are you related to that awful Professor Brynn, Bryce, and Brian tell me about?" She gasped suddenly. "Please tell me that jerk did NOT reproduce. I dread to think that there are more like him on this planet!"  
  
Incidere glared at her. "You must mean my Great-uncle Severus. He's the Potions master at Hogwarts. Please do tell me you aren't one of Sirius Black's idiotic children. It was a pity that something that stupid has offspring." He pushed a strand of greasy black hair from his face.  
  
Bridgett had gone red in the face and had her fists balled up. "Why I should deck you, Incidere Snape!" She said. "And I think I will!" She lunged forward, but was caught by Paige and Max, who grabbed her in the middle of her lunge. "Let me at em'!" She said. "Ugh. If they weren't holding me back, I'd beat the snot outta you!"  
  
"Oh, I feel threatened." Rico sneered. Nita took careful noticed that he had a bruise on his forehead. It was probably a token from his visit to the Black house with his family. Incidere watched them all coolly with his dull blue eyes. "And if the five of you losers don't mind, Incidere and I have more important things to do than be graced with the presence of Bridgett Black."  
  
"Well, fine!" Bridgett shrieked. "I love you too, Reeky Rico! As soon as I learn any good hexes, you'll be the first person I run towards to try them out!" The door slammed in their faces, and Paige and Max released their grip on Bridgett. "I wonder if my father knows that Snape has a great-nephew." Bridgett said thoughtfully. "Not that he has the heart to care at the moment. Cate is consuming all his time."  
  
Paige nodded. "I just wish my mother could be normal."  
  
"We all do." Nita said. "We all wish our lives were normal."  
  
They all sighed, and could see their breath as they did so. It was too cold to be outside, but they left the Cortez front porch, and got caught up in a snowball fight until noon, when Max's mother insisted they all go home and eat something before they turned into ice cubes.  
  
~*~  
  
Cate could only stand this for so much longer. More dreams that involved Tiira, Venire, and their little boy kept on coming. Each night, and every time she fell asleep during the day she dreamed of them. That nagging feeling in her head was telling her that she had to find out who they all were. Something told her that they involved her in some way.  
  
Cate mentally pieced together all she knew. First of all, she knew that Tiira and Venire were killed the night her mother was killed, and she was left with her cloud shaped scar as a token of her survival. Next, she knew where the hill was. Many a time she had sat upon that very hill where Tiira was murdered to escape her own troubles.  
  
There was an eerie old woman, who was Tiira's mother, and Mors Vox was her father. They had lived in Mors's castle in France. It had been where Cate had met Bellum. That memory created a sharp aching in her heart. The eerie old woman had drawn blood from Tiira's son, as well as Harry Potter.  
  
Everything was so. unrelated. It didn't seem to connect in any way. There had been vampires, but that had nothing to do with anything, either. But Cate was determined to find out what everything meant. She was going to go to the hill.  
  
And that she did. On that cold, lonely night, and the stars were not shining, but the full moon cast an eerie glow about the hilltop. There was a thick fog around the whole area, and a gray house stood atop a hill that was taller than all the others, and behind it was a cemetery with a rusty metal fence.  
  
Cate had heard stories about a woman who lived inside the old run down gray house. She had heard tell of a woman who was called The Dream Witch, and she never went near the house on the hill, afraid of having the old woman putting her under a spell. But it seemed now that she was going to have to go there. She had to check and see if Tiira and Venire's graves were in the cemetery.  
  
Time seemed to pass much to quickly as Cate walked to the cemetery. The house on the hill seemed to be watching her every move. Just as Cate had reached the gate, a low raspy voice called out to her. "Catherine Pugnare." It said. "Why, you used to be a lonely young child that lived on one of my hills."  
  
Cate turned around slowly to face the speaker. An old woman with hazel green eyes flecked with red faced her. She was dressed in robes of black, and her white hair and skin was illuminated by the moonlight. Cate did not know who she was, or what she was doing.  
  
"Who are you?" She asked, opening the gate to the cemetery. The old woman said nothing, but walked up to Cate, and walked through the gate. Cate followed her in the cemetery.  
  
"You must not be quite as lonely any longer." The old woman said, eyeing Cate's growing belly. "You have obviously found someone." Cate kept quiet. The woman knew who she was, but yet she seemed oblivious to everything that happened in the modern world. Didn't she know what had happened in Cate's life? Didn't she know of Bellum, or know that Cate was a famous Quidditch player? "Come, child, and tell The Dream Witch what ails you."  
  
Cate stepped closer to the old woman, who had addressed herself as the Dream Witch. That name sounded so familiar! Why was her mind not remembering where she had heard it? "Do you know of a man and a woman who go by the names of Tiira and Venire?" Cate asked, trying to ignore how the woman seemed so recognizable.  
  
"Follow me, and you shall see." The old woman led Cate to a large well-kept headstone. Cate stared at it for a few seconds, with her mouth open. "Twelve died that night." The old woman said. Cate knew exactly what night the woman was referring to. She could only recall eleven. Vir and his six counterparts, Tiira, Venire, her mother, and the assassin.  
  
Cate studied the headstone, in disbelief. The old woman watched her closely. "I saw them die." Cate told the woman. "It was a dream. Everything was so vivid. I felt as if I had been there. My mother was killed that night too." Cate wiped a tear from her eye. "I also saw Tiira's life before she was married to Venire. She's Mors Vox's daughter. I think her mother's name was Sommeil. She had been evil, but a force of good was stirred inside her. From what I gather, Mors Vox arranged for her to be killed."  
  
"In more way than one, you share much in common with Tiira, don't you?" The old woman said. It wasn't a question, but a riddle, rather. "Indeed her own father arranged for her death, and that of her husband. But he wanted the boy."  
  
Cate stood silent, her eyes still resting on the headstone. The old woman watched Cate with a sense of wonder, and the red in her eyes had died down. "I wonder what became of their young son. I never did find out if Mors got him or not. Something prevented me from that. I often wonder if he is alive, and if he's happy. I can only hope he steered away from the path of evil like his mother."  
  
Cate turned her gaze to the old woman. Her deep brown eyes were filed with tears. "I know what happened to the little boy now." Cate said. The old woman's eyes flashed, and she stepped closer to Cate. "I fell in love with him." She said softly. "I married him, and I've given birth to four of his children. In March, I'll give birth to his daughter. But he is no longer here. Someone who was taught by Mors Vox killed him. Her name was Dolere Virulent, and she married a Malfoy. Indeed he stayed away from the forces of evil. He pulled me away from them."  
  
It was now the old woman's turn to look shocked. Her eyes showed no sign of red, and she looked at Cate. "And he would want me to stay away." Cate sniffled softly. "I'm starting to go back. Have you any idea how hard it is to go on without the person you love the most?"  
  
The old woman did not answer, but she gaped at Cate. "He must have been happy then." She finally said. "To have been loved. It is an emotion I know very little about. It has been too long. Love has turned into hate. I hope your children are as beautiful as you are, my dear. Keep them close to you; never let them stray away. I made the mistake, and it has cost more than one life."  
  
Cate knew what this all meant. There had been a hidden meaning in the dreams all along. She had been much like Tiira in many ways. Everything was linked to Bellum as well. Cate realized that nothing Voldemort did could bring him back. Besides, it wouldn't be what Bellum wanted. He would never have wanted her to turn back to her evil ways, thriving on a false hope that he would return.  
  
"He was happy." Cate said finally to the woman. "I wish Tiira and Venire had been around to see him. Their son would have made them proud. I was lucky to have spent time on Earth with him."  
  
The old woman observed Cate with a look of pure sorrow. "I'm going to go now." Cate said to the woman. "Try and find what you lost, and when you find it, hold it tight and never let it go. You should never let your loved ones go."  
  
The woman's hazel green eyes filled with tears, just watching Cate. Before Cate disappeared, she took one last look at the well cared for headstone. She traced the large uppercase letters with her fingers, and they glowed gold for a few moments. The headstone read Pugnare. With that, Cate was gone.  
  
~*~  
  
In the mansion where Voldemort resided with his many heirs, and several Death Eaters, Cate had been lucky to catch him alone in his chamber, thinking. He looked eagerly to her, and Cate returned the eager look with a cold hard glare.  
  
"The Deal is off." She said shortly. "I have no desire to join you any longer." Voldemort's snake-like eyes stared back at her angrily. He shortly considered killing Cate, or at least hexing her. But she waved her wand at him, to warn him what would happen if he tried anything.  
  
"Then go." Voldemort hissed. "If you wish to live the rest of your life in misery, then so be it. But I have something else you value. This you shall never get back. Like your husband."  
  
Cate disappeared, before she got angry. She knew that was what Voldemort had been trying to do. He was trying to make her angry, and make her rejoin him. But she wasn't going to give in this time. Cate was going to live through this ordeal herself.  
  
~*~  
  
Sirius watched Cate closely. Even since he had come across Nick, he began to wonder. Nick had told his story, and Paige had backed it up. But now Cate sat by herself and sobbed as usual, but she cried out names that were strange to Sirius. They were names he had never heard before.  
  
He hated to see his child so miserable. But it wasn't just Cate. Even little Jack sensed something wicked happening. Sirius wished that his son- in-law had never been murdered. The press was still watching the house, and they occasionally knocked on the door, and were greeted with a hex from Sirius.  
  
Suddenly Cate stood up, and said something under her breath. Sirius watched her disappear, and wondered where she was off to now. Somewhere evil? No, a small feeling in his heart told him it was all right this time. But he made a silent vow to fix Cate's life. He hadn't forgotten his own thoughts. He was going to do something about Cate.  
  
~*~  
  
Cate was once again on the hill, but it was now daytime. There was no fog near the house on the top of the hill, nor was there a sign that anyone at all lived in the house. The cemetery loomed in the distance, with the many magnificent headstones looking at her from their spot on the hill.  
  
A tall black man was mowing his lawn magically nearby, and while he as doing that, he kept a close eye on Cate. He didn't know if he should run our hide when Cate approached him. "Excuse me." She said to him. "Can you tell me the name of the people who live on that house up there?" Cate pointed to the gray house atop the hill.  
  
The man gaped at her for a few moments before he answered her. "No one lives there." He answered shortly. "No one has, and as far as I'm concerned, no one ever will." He looked at Cate, trying to piece together where he had seen her before.  
  
"There's an old woman." Cate said. "I saw her just last night. She was there. In the cemetery." The man looked at Cate as if she were crazy, which of course she was. "She was there, and I talked to her. Tell me who she is!"  
  
The man backed up, then realizing just who Cate was. "Listen, I know you're... well, just listen-No one lives in that house. The person who lived there hasn't been seen in thirty years."  
  
"Then show me." Cate said, her dark eyes flashing. The man shook his head at first, but as her gaze turned hard, and he led way to the gray house, looking petrified beyond all reason.  
  
Both Cate and the man stumbled on the crumbled stone path that led to the front door of the great gray house. The door opened very easily, and Cate and the man found themselves in a dusty entryway. Everything was a wreck, and Cate grabbed the man hard by his sleeve when he tried to turn and run back outside. She stepped over all the rubble, and walked towards what appeared to have been a living room. Pictures had fallen off the wall, and glass was shattered everywhere. A chair stood by an old fireplace, and the cushions that had once been on it were in shreds.  
  
"Someone was killed here." Cate said. The man backed up, wondering if she had been the one doing the killing. "In this very room, in the spots we stand. Someone was killed. The twelfth person." She said silently. "The old woman."  
  
Some unseen force led Cate to a closet in the next room. The man followed, curious to see what she was up to. Cate blew the dust from the handle, and turned it slowly. Nothing could have prepared her from what fell forward when the closet door was opened.  
  
Cate screamed shrilly, and the man screamed loudly. A skeleton in ragged faded black robes had fell to the floor, narrowly missing Cate. The two stared at it in shock, and screamed again. After their screaming had ceased, Cate took a step back, and gulped.  
  
"She was killed as well. The one who haunts this hill is not a person any longer, but a spirit. I know that she dwells in her old form, and is solid. I've also got a guess at who killed her. He also arranged for the death of his daughter, and the capture of his son. Are you familiar with Mors Vox?"  
  
The man nodded. Mors Vox had been a legend to him as well. "They called the woman who used to dwell here The Dream Witch. No one has dared come here, for fear of what she would do to them. But all along she's been dead."  
  
"It doesn't mean she can't be here." Cate said. "I'll bet she's watching us this very moment. But I know what's happened to her. She can go free now. She can choose to have a peaceful afterlife, or she can remain on Earth and haunt her killer."  
  
Cate was aware of this curse. Though she hadn't seen it happen, she was sure that Mors Vox had killed the old woman. This was Tiira's mother. The Dream Witch. Mor's wife. Now that someone knew about it, the Dream Witch's spirit was free.  
  
"Well, you may go now." Cate said to the terrified man. He nodded to her, and took off as fast as his legs would carry him. She sighed, and looked at the skeleton one last time before she disappeared.  
  
(A/N: Okay, all of you who actually bothered to read this ALL! I LOVE YOU! I'd like it if you reviewed, as well! Please, please, please, please!? Hope you like this story so far, and keep reading and reviewing!  
  
Toodles,  
  
Cathykcool) 


	29. The Spirit Realm

(MWAHHAHA! My turn! Good chapter! **Dances around the room excitedly. **)  
  
Chapter 30: The Spirit Realm  
  
The Pugnare was not a happy place to be. Even the press didn't go to bother Cate any longer, as they were greeted with a handful of curses from Sirius Black, and none of his curses were pleasant. Reporters that dared come to the door were known to come back with body parts mixed around in different places.  
  
Cate had lost nearly all of her sanity, or what was left of it. All anyone could do was watch her these days; if they got close to her she started shaking violently and screamed strange names at the top of her lungs.  
  
At this particular moment, Cate was sitting on the couch she always sat on, facing the love seat. The expression on her face was so blank it was terrifying. She was horribly pale now, and her eyes seemed to have gone black instead of deep brown. But that wasn't the worst of it; she was talking to people that were not there.  
  
"Bellum dear." She said, in a monotone voice that never changed even slightly. All that moved on her face was her mouth, which was barely open to utter words. "Have some more tea." Cate threw a rock that had been sitting on the coffee table at the loveseat with all her might. "Good. I know you don't like Herbal Tea, but you must drink it."  
  
Sirius was standing in the doorframe, looking about as bad as he had when he escaped from Azkaban. His face was thin, and his eyes were empty. His hair was a mess, and his robes were wrinkled. He sighed, watching his oldest child with empathy.  
  
"It's okay, grandpa." Said a quiet little voice behind him. Paige brushed past him, and turned sharply to face him. "Dad would want us to try and be happy without him. Mom will be okay, after time." Paige said this as if she didn't believe it, but was trying desperately to. Her brown eyes were full of hope. "Don't be sad, Grandpa Padfoot."  
  
Sirius looked down at Paige. She gave a weak smile, and he swallowed her up in a huge hug. His eyes filled with tears, and Paige sighed. "You're the bravest little girl I know." He said. "Everything here is a mess, but you're trying to keep going. Your father was murdered; your mother is insane. You take care of your baby brother most of the day, and you aren't supposed to even talk to your best friend. How many 9 year old girls can say that?"  
  
"I don't know any that would want to say they do all that." Paige said, flinching, as Cate seemed to come to the awful reality that Bellum was still dead, screaming deafeningly. "I wish everything could just be mended! No matter how much I try, I can't fix it!"  
  
"But you try." Sirius said dismally. "You're keeping everyone going. Any other girl your age, or even anyone of any age, would collapse and cry forever. They'd give up. You have an enormous amount of bravery in your, Paige."  
  
"No I don't." Paige said, starting to cry now. "I cry myself to sleep every night! I have to make sure I don't end up like mum! I don't want to be fussed over, or anything. I just want my daddy back. I'm a lonely little girl that cries every night wishing she had a daddy."  
  
Sirius hugged his granddaughter tighter. Paige tried so hard to be happy, but when everyone else was miserable, she couldn't do it. Paige was only nine years old, and had been through more grief than most people had been their whole lives. It wasn't fair for her, or anyone else around.  
  
He patted Paige on the back lightly, and pulled away. He was now going to find a way to make things better. He wasn't going to do it for himself; he was going to do it for his family. He heard Paige slump to the floor as he rushed suddenly up the stairs towards the Library of the Pugnare residence.  
  
***  
  
Cate was a royal mess. She was staring at herself in the mirror, and wondering who she used to be. Her face had gone thin, and her skin didn't glow any longer. Her eyes were dark, and there were large bags under them. Her hair hadn't been brushed or washed in a long time, and had gotten quite greasy.  
  
She was wearing one of Bellum's old sweatshirts, which had been far too big for him. Her belly was quite large, but still smaller than the usual pregnant woman's stomach. The doctor had assured everyone that the baby was still alive, but she had no extra lives to spare now. She was going to be a person with a normal amount of lives.  
  
Cate looked at the dresser, at a picture behind a broken glass and mahogany frame. There was a very pretty woman, and a handsome man in it. The woman was wearing a long white wedding gown, and was kissing the man, who was in a sleek black tuxedo.  
  
Had this been her? Was that. Bellum? Cate gasped, suddenly remembering who she was, and that her husband was dead. Tears streamed down her face, which was already tear streaked. She was suddenly frightfully cold, and began to shake violently. She made her way to the large bed, and collapsed on it on, going into another horrid dream.  
  
*** Felicity tapped her quill on her desk. History of Magic was so boring! It was time for a little mind game she liked to play in this class. Blick was nodding off beside her, having a daydream. Felicity grinned. It was time to do some mind reading.  
  
Blick's daydream was quite revolting, in her opinion. It involved her in very little clothes, sitting on his lap and kissing him, as things that twelve-year-old boys should not be thinking about happened.  
  
Felicity made a face, and scribbled a note on a piece of parchment, pretending to be taking notes. She passed it to Blick, and grinned at his expression as he read it. YOU. ME. MIDNIGHT. STATUE OF CHRIS THE CURIOUS.  
  
Blick nodded furiously at her, barely able to contain his excitement. He was already fidgeting. Malicia looked as she always did, frightfully evil and ready to kill something. Felicity found it very hard to read her thoughts, but she was able to manage something about the Potters all being killed violently.  
  
The other people in her class were thinking quite dull thoughts. Some were thinking about Quidditch, and a few of the boys were thinking somewhat a Blick had been, but without the explicitness.  
  
When she came to Ariana Malfoy, Felicity decided she was done with this game. She didn't care to know what Ariana was thinking about, nor did she want to know. She expected something about a vivid fantasy about Ariana killing Cate, but stopped at that, not wanting to guess any more.  
  
Just as she was about to read Blick's mind again, the bell rang, and she sprang out of her seat, chucking random belongings in her bag, and taking off at full speed, not caring who she knocked over when she sped down the hall.  
  
***  
  
(A/N: I'd like to add that this creepy part was thought up after having listened to my dad's music too much. The song "Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel was the name of the song that inspired this bit.)  
  
Cate was sure she was dreaming now, but there was scarcely a way for her to tell reality from a dream in her state. Cate was trying to figure out just if it was real or not, by fingering the long white dress she wore softly.  
  
She did not recognize the place she was standing; the streets were made of cobblestone and there were old brick buildings crumbling to the left and right. Cate's stomach was as flat as it had been before she was pregnant. The white dress she wore was long, and the sleeves of it were sheer and silky.  
  
Cate looked much better than she had in a long time. Her hair fanned out behind her as she walked down the silent cobblestone street, looking around in wonder. Nothing made a noise, not even Cate's heeled shoes as she walked down the streets.  
  
For what seemed like hours Cate trekked through the endless streets, until something made her gasp, and come to a sharp stop, gasping for breath. Before her there was a drop, and on the ground there were at least ten thousand people staring up at her. They all seemed to be talking without speaking, as each one looked to the other without making a noise. There was no one Cate could pick out in the crowd, yet they all seemed so familiar.  
  
Cate looked around, to see why all the people had gathered. She seemed to have caught onto the talking without speaking thing, as she was terrified when a young woman smiled at her. There was communication without words, and everyone understood the others perfectly.  
  
The young woman had long wavy light brown hair that graced her mid back. Her eyes were a sparkling hazel green, and her skin was smooth and clear, bringing out all her pretty features. This girl was familiar too, and Cate had an even harder time placing her.  
  
Unlike the crowd that wore white from head to foot, the woman was a pale green dress that brought her eyes out nicely. The weak smile had vanished from her fair face, as she looked over Cate's shoulder. Another surprise hit Cate like a brick falling on her head after a drop from the top of Big Ben.  
  
There was a pile of bodies that Cate had somehow failed to notice before, but these bodies she could place. Her jaw dropped in horror, as thirteen cold lifeless faces stared back at her. These people were obviously all Potters. Meagan's body was propped up against Harry's in the heap, with a look of horror and shock on her face. There was a knife sticking out from her chest.  
  
Cate turned around to scream curses at the young woman, but when she tried to speak, no sound came out. A livid look crossed the woman's face, and Cate suddenly felt pain beyond pain. It was like her soul was being ripped from her chest and shoved down her throat.  
  
All life was starting to leave her, and at this moment, Cate could not have made a noise if she screamed at the top of her lungs. The world suddenly seemed horizontal, and it took Cate a few seconds to realize she was falling at a rate slower than usual.  
  
Then something happened, that sent the silent crowd into silent hysterics, and the young woman screamed, making a shrill noise, putting her hands over her ears. When Cate hit the ground, she had made a noise. There was a thump, which had seemed ear bleeding in the silence, and it was followed by another thump.  
  
Cate felt her head hit the ground, and blood trickled out of her mouth. She was barely able to open her eyes to see who ha landed with a thump next to her. Through heavy eyes, Bellum looked over at her, trying to say something, but falling victim to the silence. Cate couldn't move; she couldn't reach out and touch her husband. There were several more thumps, which Cate assumed were her children. Cate couldn't see now, but she was sure who they were. Thump. Ethan. Thump. Felicity. Thump. Paige. Thump. Jack.  
  
But there was no thump for Faye. There had been young Potter children, and surely Faye had been born? There was something wrong with this. Cate was using the last of her life to piece together what was happening, when the terrifying young woman was leaning over her.  
  
"Goodbye, it was good living with you." She said, without talking. It was that eerie silence again.  
  
Cate couldn't hold on to her life any longer. Everything started to spin, and she felt no more pain...  
  
***  
  
Cate screamed, and sat upright in her bed, panting. There was an old woman with hazel green eyes watching her. The Dream Witch had decided to bother Cate one last time before she left this world in peace. Cate stared at her, and ignored the beads of sweat dripping down her forehead.  
  
"Was that real?" She asked softly. "Did that ever happen?"  
  
The Dream Witch pondered this for a moment. "It has not happened." She said. "Not yet. But it will if you raise your child in the ways of evil. The baby inside you is special, and she will need special attention. This dream was a warning, to scare you. This could be the future of the world. Teach your daughter control."  
  
Cate was baffled beyond all reason. Things were not clicking right in her brain. The Dream Witch seemed to understand, as she waved her hand slowly, and Cate felt sleep coming on again. Her eyes closed, and when she woke up the next morning Cate could not tell which had been the dream, and which had been the reality, if either had been real at all.  
  
***  
  
Sirius had ventured to the one place he never went, where nearly no Blacks had gone before: The Library. But he hadn't decided to simply brush up on his reading, or simply to prove to the world that he could read at all. He was there for a reason.  
  
Sirius stood in thought for a while, before he marched hopefully to a bookshelf that was at least three times his height. He searched the shelf, which seemed to take an eternity. Eventually, after he had gotten to books with peeling lettering that was barely decipherable, he gave a triumphant grin, and slid down the ladder he had climbed to get to the book.  
  
With a loud thump, and a rising cloud of dust, Sirius had to squint to make out the words on the index of the book. The words were set in an old style font, and were quite hard to read, never mind the fact that they were peeling.  
  
He must have found what he was looking for, because he became so deeply involved in his reading that he did not notice Jack wreaking havoc on old Padfoot the dog at his feet. Sirius usually sympathized with dogs, having been one for brief periods of time himself.  
  
Sirius flexed his fingers, and finally looked up from his reading. His features were all more troubled before, and he put his face in his hands, and rubbed his temples. He seemed to be having a mental debate with himself, and there was no telling which half was winning.  
  
There were typically two halves to Sirius's conscience. There was the half that loved his family and friends unconditionally, and would sacrifice anything for their happiness. This side to Sirius was loving, kind, happy, and mischievous. This was the side of Sirius that most people knew, but it was, however, his weakest side.  
  
The other side was jealous, angry, spiteful, and self-absorbed. It cared very little for family and friends, and only for the good of him. It was much stronger than the good side, but was usually cheated out of getting its way. This side was fairer; if someone hated Sirius, this was the side that hated that person back. A good example of this was Snape.  
  
The sides often debated over issues for hours, and it had been that way lately more than usual. Cate was doing nothing for him! She had sat on the couch, and rejected all signs of love that he had thrown at her! He was her father; shouldn't she love him back? Cate was being selfish! Why did she deserve to be happy again?  
  
But the good side had a debate in mind too. Sirius loved Cate. She was his oldest child, and the thought of her and Lizzie had kept him alive. She had, in a way, saved his life, so to speak.  
  
But she blamed him for her suffering! It wasn't his fault! Or was it? Could he have prevented the death of the Potters and Lizzie? Yes, was the answer to that question. But fate was not to be messed with. What had happened had happened. If James and Lily had not died, Harry would not have fallen in love with Meagan, and their children would not be here today. Cate would never have met Bellum, and there would be no little Pugnare children.  
  
But Cate wasn't the only one suffering. Paige was trying, and it was draining the life out of her. She was already more of a parent to little Jack than Cate was, and she was the only one that tried to be happy. It was bravery that most people would not understand, except perhaps Meagan. She had always tried to lighten everyone's load, for as long as he could remember.  
  
This load would be taken off Paige, and she could possibly be a normal child again, as far as normal went in the family. Jack would have real parents again, and perhaps Felicity would be less evil. Ethan would have someone to turn to for advice, and the baby Faye would grow up with good parents.  
  
But what about himself? What good was any of this to Sirius? He had other family members, that were happy, and family members that loved him back. Would he be better off without Cate? Should he return to her what she gave to him? She deserved it, anyone would agree!  
  
But no, he couldn't ever do that. If Cate stayed like this the rest of her life, which would not be very long at this rate, Sirius would have nothing to live for. The entire Black and Pugnare families would be depressed even more, which was the last thing he wanted. Sirius would rather die than see his family and friends live forever in grief.  
  
Besides, they wouldn't miss him. No one seemed to pay attention to him anyway, with the exception of Lizzie. But she was only one person; one person that meant the world to him. She understood him, so would she understand what was happening inside his head right now?  
  
Even if she didn't, there was no way to stop Sirius from his plan. It was all for the better of the family. or the world.  
  
***  
  
Everything was starting to settle in on Paige. What Sirius had said to her brought her to the harsh reality. What if her mother stayed like this forever? Paige knew that no matter how hard she tried; she could not pretend to be happy for the rest of her life. She could not watch Jack, and soon Faye grow up with no mother.  
  
Paige suddenly felt like she was fifty, not nine. Her grandfather was right! What sort of nine-year-old girl bears this sort of responsibility? Paige couldn't think of any. At this rate, she would end up like Ethan.  
  
Ethan also pretended to be happy, but deep inside, he ached more than Paige did. He had yelled at his father before he died and was feeling guilty. But Ethan, unlike Paige, was away from it all. He was off in school with other things to take his mind off the harsh family life that plagued the Pugnares.  
  
'Nita!' Paige cried finally, tears flowing out of her eyes. 'I can't take it anymore!' There was no reply. Had something happened to Nita now? Was some other unseen force trying to destroy her false happiness? Without Nita, she couldn't even pretend to be happy.  
  
'Nita!' she tried again. There was still no reply. Getting nervous, Paige closed her eyes and appeared at the Potter mansion in a closet. Just her luck, to land in a closet of all places. She had to reappear outside, and what she saw was nearly unbelievable. The main hall of the Potter house was nearly in ruins.  
  
"Take cover!" Shouted someone from behind an overturned sofa. A helmet was tossed in Paige's direction, and a hand beckoned her over to behind the sofa. Slightly taken aback, Paige jogged over to behind to the sofa, where she was pulled down by James Potter, who looked just as shocked to see her as she was to see him.  
  
"Ah. um. I... Er." Paige stuttered, not managing to think up an excuse for her being at the potter house. She was a Pugnare; they were supposed to hate each other. James, however, shrugged.  
  
"I've expected it." He said. There was a loud banging and they both jumped. "I know what's going on with my grandchildren, even if their mother does not. Don't worry, err."  
  
"Paige. My name is Paige." Paige said quickly, gasping as a statue flew over the sofa and shattered a few yards away. James nodding, pretending he knew her name was Paige all along. He reminded her very much of her own grandfather. "So, uh, well."  
  
"The twins got their powers." James informed her. He handed her a shield. "The world may end very soon, Penny. On three, we have to make a break for it. They've got Nita held captive someplace on one of the upper floors. Meagan is playing Quidditch, and Harry is at Hogwarts. The triplets are sleeping, but not for long I'd imagine."  
  
Paige nodded, ignoring the fact that James had called her Penny. "So what exactly are the twins' powers?" She asked a little skeptically. James made a screwed up face, as if he were trying to think but was failing miserably.  
  
"Well, no one is quite sure." He said, scratching his graying hair. "We know for sure that they can run at an unnatural rate. What else, only God knows. Do you have any funny powers yet, Priscilla?"  
  
"Uh. not really." Paige said. She knew she had some powers, but she didn't know what they were, or how to use them. It was a scary thought to have power that was not yet unleashed. As if Paige needed anything else to deal with, now she had to think about magic.  
  
"Well, we bolt for it on three." James said, raising his shield. "One. Two... THREE!"  
  
Hell had been unleashed, as bits of unknown material were flung at Paige and James as they made a mad dash for the staircase. Paige heard cackling that she recognized only too well. The twins were going to show no mercy with the goop that was now being flung at them.  
  
"I'm down!" James shouted, stepping on something and being rooted to the spot. "Go one without me! Go, Penelope!" And half an instant later, all of James froze on the spot, with an open mouth, Paige bounded up the stairs two at a time.  
  
"Alright Jo and Jess!" Paige shouted, when she reached a quiet area of the hallway at the end of the staircase. "Show yourselves!"  
  
That was a bad request. Two identical grins were smirking right in front of Paige, who quickly ducked something unknown flying at her head. This was a very unfair fight. There were two twins, and one Paige. The twins were also a year older, and were not under a considerable amount of stress at the moment.  
  
The twins turned to each other and smirked, pointing a finger at Paige. Paige, refusing to fall victim to the Potter twins, merely screamed at the top of her lungs. That scream unleashed all her troubles, and then something happened.  
  
Each twin was frozen on the spot, with a grin plastered on her face, arm poised to throw a glass bead, which contained a spell. Jess's bead had already left her hand, and was suspended in the air. Paige didn't dare move, but after a few moments, she realized she was the only thing that could move.  
  
"Oh no," said Paige, her face going very pale. "I didn't, did I? Has time stopped?" To see if she really did, Paige looked at her watch. The hands were not moving. They were frozen the way everything else was.  
  
"Nita!" Paige said, experimenting with a snap of her fingers. Nita appeared in front of her, upside down and in quite a state of distress. Paige looked surprised when Nita righted herself to glare at Paige.  
  
"Well, you could have at least gotten me here right side up!" She said, fixing her glasses, which were cracked. "How did you do it, anyway? You've stopped time, you know." Nita gave Jo and Jess each a good kick in the shins before turning to Paige again. "They had me tied up, and I was being tickled to the point of laughing so hard I couldn't breathe."  
  
"I- I don't know." Paige said. "It just kind of. happened. Suddenly everything stopped."  
  
"Hmm." Nita said thoughtfully. "You haven't learned anything about your powers, have you?" Paige shook her head. "Maybe you should, I'll bet you could take the twins single-handedly if you learned a thing about them."  
  
"Well, I'm taking them without knowing a thing about my powers." Paige said, wondering how on earth she could learn about her powers. "Maybe I should try and unfreeze time."  
  
"Go for it." Nita shrugged. "Don't blame me if the twins get you." Nita immediately ran for cover behind a suit of armor. Paige snapped her fingers twice, as if she had known how to do this all along, and the twins' glass beads and been released, hitting the wall and turning it pink with green stripes. They wheeled around to see where Paige had gone.  
  
Paige was frozen again, not wanting to be pink with green stripes for several weeks going. Nita jumped out from her suit of armor, making no noise, but madly signaling for her to do something.  
  
From then on, something inside Paige took over. Another surge of angry emotions was released, and the twins gasped in horror, at what had become of Paige. In Paige's place there stood a griffin, poised for attack. Both Jo and Jess dropped their beads, turning the floor puke green and electric blue.  
  
Nita fainted. Paige gave a mighty, and the twins shrieked for her to stop. "What's the matter with you?" Jo shrilled.  
  
"We were only playing!" Jess added.  
  
"Don't hurt us!" They both said in unison. It didn't take much effort for Paige to return to her human form, which was quite a bit smaller than both Jo and Jess. "Really, were you taking us seriously?" Jo asked, taking a few deep breaths.  
  
"I've never been that scared in my life." Jess commented. "Haven't you ever played a game before?"  
  
'Well, she is a Pugnare. I doubt they play games there. They just learn to terminate good people.' Jo told Jess telepathically. It struck her a little late that Paige could also read minds.  
  
"Fine." Paige said. "Wake up your sister, and never breathe a word of this to your mother. No one was hurt. You tell anyone I was here; then you'll pay consequences. I don't want a war; it's the last thing I want. Just don't tell your mother."  
  
Jo and Jess nodded. They would never tell their mother. Meagan would have their heads for being outwitted by a nine-year-old daughter of Cate's. It was a matter of pride. They were going to pretend that this had never happened. Paige smiled, and disappeared.  
  
That should put a stopper to that problem, Paige thought, sulking to her bed once again. At least for a few hours.  
  
***  
  
Meagan sat alone with Angelina, who was sleeping soundly in her arms. Angelina would never hear a word she said, or be able to do magic like the rest of the Potters. She would never have the joy of picking out a first wand, or hearing praise for doing a spell correctly.  
  
Meagan sighed. For a bleak moment she wished there had just been a mix up at the hospital, and that she had a baby with magic and hearing. Then she caught herself thinking those thoughts, and let tears flow down her cheeks.  
  
No, she didn't wish that. She just wished Angelina had magic. It wasn't Angelina's fault, and she had done nothing to deserve being deaf and a squib. There was nothing Meagan could do about it, either. All the power she had, and nothing could help her daughter.  
  
"Is something the matter?" Harry asked, putting his hand on Meagan's shoulder, and taking a seat on the arm of the easy chair. "You're crying."  
  
Meagan smiled at her husband. He was so caring, and she was glad he was there now. "I just want Angelina to be happy when she's older." Meagan said. "She doesn't have powers to enjoy like all our other children. She can't hear our voices, or hear our praise."  
  
Harry kissed Meagan's forehead softly. "I know she'll be happy, no matter what." Harry said. "You're the best mother in the world. I'll help you make sure that Angelina is just as happy as Amy and Abigail. We'll send her to the best non-magical school there is in the world. She'll have loads of friends, and we'll still love her like our other children. It's impossible to love one of them more than the other, anyway."  
  
Meagan smiled. "Yes, you're right, of course." She said. "I just don't want her to end up neglected and jealous of her siblings. It isn't fair to her. In this world of magic she's being left out."  
  
"But we love her." Harry said. He leaned in and kissed Meagan softly on her lips. "I love you, too. And love is the greatest kind of magic there is. No magic is stronger than love. That is real magic."  
  
Meagan smiled, and kissed Harry back. Angelina stirred in her arms. The happy couple watched her; they couldn't love their children more. "I feel sorry for Cate." Harry said softly. "She lost the person she loved most. Now she's miserable. Even though she hates us both, I can't help but pity her."  
  
Meagan sighed. No matter where she was, there was always talk of Cate, and how miserable she is. "It isn't like no one loves her though. Sirius and Lizzie love her more than anything, and they keep trying to reach her, but they can't. She's so wrapped up in her own grief that she can't see anyone else's."  
  
Harry fell silent. Sirius had been a great godfather to him in the past, and lately he had not seen Sirius at all he was so wrapped up in trying to comfort Cate. "And Cate's children. They've got a baby, and a girl about the same age as Nita. Think of how those kids must feel, being neglected all day long."  
  
Meagan nodded, and smiled down at Angelina. The other babies were sleeping soundly in their cradles. "I never realized just how important Bellum was before. He was the Scotch Tape holding the wrapping paper on the box of life for that family.  
  
Sometimes I feel as if Cate were my daughter, too. Padfoot and Lizzie were among my best friends. I watched you and Cate grow up, Harry. She never really knew what love was until she met Bellum. Now she pretends no one loves her, and she pretends she loves no one."  
  
"I never imagined I'd say it." Harry said. "But I miss that evil scheming Cate that hated your guts. That was better than the Cate that makes everyone miserable because she is."  
  
"And see, Harry." Meagan smiled. "Love really was magic stronger than anything we've ever known. Cate and Bellum proved that right, and the absence of love is what is taking the Black family down."  
  
Meagan and Harry leaned against each other, forgetting about Cate for the moment, and thinking of how wonderful their own lives were. There was nothing they would change; everything was already perfect.  
  
***  
  
"Duck and cover!" shouted Crystal, throwing what looked like a stolen Quaffle from the Quidditch field at Brian. Several bystanders ducked and covered, wondering what The Modern Day Marauders were up to now.  
  
"Learn to throw better!" Brian shouted, making a mad dive for the Quaffle, leaping over an armchair, landing on his feet with a spin. He grinned, and nodded at a few girls who were watching him. He bounded up on the armchair, and chucked the Quaffle at Crystal.  
  
Crystal grinned, as she caught the Quaffle easily. "Learn to throw better, Brian Black?" She asked, taking aim at Brian's head. It was a very nice hit, hitting Brian smack on the nose, and knocking him off the chair. His arms flailed, and he hit the ground with a thunk. Crystal did a victory dance, and took a bow. "How's that for a throw?"  
  
Fred and George were snickering at Brian behind Crystal, and Brain sat up, looking a little dizzy. As soon as he came to full consciousness he glared at Crystal, and chucked the ball at her. Crystal ducked it, and Fred took a swing at it with a bat he nicked from practice. The ball shot back towards Brian's head.  
  
This time Brian was a little quicker. He wasn't knocked over, at least. But his nose was bruised. Crystal laughed, as Brian realized everyone was laughing at his nose, which he supposed was broken. "Why, are you tuning into your older brother?" ("Hey!" Bryce commented).  
  
There was no Snitch in Common Room Quidditch. No one dared nick the Snitch. There was a certain presence it had, that made them afraid of taking it from its box. The Bludgers were not taken out, for reasons that were most obvious, but Fred and George swung away at the Quaffle with their bats.  
  
"Professor Alert!" A person in the mass shouted. Crystal's head turned to the flashing light that the Modern Day Marauders had installed above the exit of the common room. It detected an adult coming from the point they reached the corridor the common room was concealed in.  
  
Immediately, everyone dove for a book. Neil had a great pile next to him. He had been the only one actually reading. Brian was stuck with a very outdated copy of Witch Weekly, which had a picture of several family members on the front, who were all smiling at him.  
  
Professor McGonagall came through the portrait hole, smiling at her 'well behaved' students. She took a second look to Brian, who had a girl's magazine, turned upside down. "What did you do to your nose, Mr. Black?"  
  
"Uh." Brian blushed scarlet. "Don't you like it? I tried to make it, you know, straight, and it turned black and blue." Crystal snickered silently, as McGonagall shrugged, buying Brian's rather pathetic excuse. "Back to your reading, Gryffindors. Might I add that final exams begin in roughly three and a half months."  
  
Only Neil seemed to care about this, for he was the only one who continued reading when McGonagall left. Everyone else went back to what they had been before. Neil shook his head at Rachel, who was yelling at the top of her lungs at the players of Common Room Quidditch.  
  
This was just not going to work for him. It was too noisy here in this Common Room. Why did the Gryffindors have to be so noisy? Couldn't they just be quiet like the Hufflepuffs?  
  
Neil closed his book, sighed, and stood up. No one even noticed he was alive, except for perhaps Rachel, and the MDMs when they were making fun of him. Perhaps Felicity, when they were alone, otherwise she just treated him like she treated everyone else, like scum.  
  
Well, at least he had himself. Neil was a person that did not mind being alone. Being the only male child in the Potter house, he was quite used to being by himself. What he needed was a nice walk under the Invisibility Cloak. Not that he needed it, as no one seemed to notice him anyway.  
  
A quick trip to his dormitory, and he set off through the portrait, off to see what adventures Hogwarts would hold that night. Probably, nothing, as usual, but Neil had a feeling. This feeling strongly reminded him of when he was being chased by the dark thing in his dream.  
  
The halls were empty. Neil strolled along, sorting things out in his mind. There were numerous things that went through Neil's mind. But his thoughts were interrupted by two voices, male and female. Neil stopped to listen and watch.  
  
"I still make you nervous, Blick." Felicity sighed, stepping closer to Blick, who was torn between being content and afraid. "What is it about me that scares you?"  
  
Blick shifted uncomfortably, as Felicity pressed her body against his. "Well, you're just. really pretty. And. well, you're clever, and powerful. and. well, you could do so much, and."  
  
Felicity leaned forward and kissed him. Blick stopped rambling on immediately. Neil stumbled backwards, a little shocked. He hadn't quite expected people just a year older than he was to be kissing. It somehow just didn't seem right, the way they were kissing. It reminded Neil strongly of Cate and the late Bellum Pugnare.  
  
Felicity pulled away from Blick and let him stumble backwards a bit. Neil didn't think Blick looked afraid the slightest bit now. He looked as if his wildest dreams had come true, which they practically had.  
  
Neil wondered what it was like to be in Blick's shoes at the moment. He felt it was obvious that Felicity wasn't kissing him because she liked him; she was doing it to take advantage of him, and make him know that she controlled his fears. She could make him afraid of her, and the next moment he would feel exactly opposite of that.  
  
Blick seemed to know quite well that Felicity didn't like him in 'that' way either. He just let her walk over him, because he liked it. Neil wondered if he would like it. He didn't have time to decide, when he was quite startled by a cat rubbing against his legs.  
  
In fact, Neil was so taken by surprise that he gasped, and toppled over backwards with a thud. Both Felicity and Blick turned their heads his direction. Of course they didn't see anything, but became suspicious. Both stepped away from each other, and looked around for the cause of the noise. But that didn't matter; Neil had already taken off down the corridor.  
  
***  
  
Paige sat on her bed, hugging her knees. In the past 24 hours she had turned into a wide assortment of creatures and things. Paige also found that she had no control over this, either. She just kept changing, without her own consent. It made her angry, and when she was angry, she turned into nasty things.  
  
Paige hugged her knees tighter, trying not to change, when Nita appeared, backing off slightly. After a moment of silence, Paige looked up at Nita, whose eyes were a fearful white. Nita looked quite scared.  
  
"You're really scary, you know that?" Nita asked, smiling and taking a seat next to Paige on the bed. "Really, I thought you were going to eat the twins, or something. Though I wouldn't miss them, mum would be really angry if my siblings were suddenly gone."  
  
Paige shuffled around. "It isn't a joke, Nita." She said softly. Nita gave up the false smile. "I can't control it! I've turned into just about everything now. There's nothing I can do to stop myself. This power just keeps taking me! I didn't mean to scare you, or even the twins. I just."  
  
Paige broke into tears, and started to sob hysterically. Nita patted her on the back sympathetically. "I just feel alone! I don't think I have a family anymore! I'm practically Jack's mother, my dad is dead, my mum is insane, and my grandpa is depressed, my sister is evil; my brother is having relationship troubles. And to top it all off, I can't just ask you to come over any old time and have fun. I'm not supposed to be friends with you, and you're my best friend!"  
  
Nita fell silent. Paige sobbed harder, and Nita withdrew her hand quickly in shock, as Paige melted into Felicity. Paige, in the form of Felicity, gave an angry yell, and flopped over on the bed in fury.  
  
"I don't want to be Felicity!" Paige sobbed, as Nita stared. After a moment, Felicity's form melted back into Paige's. "You see what I mean?" Paige asked, with a great sigh. Nita looked thoughtful for a flash.  
  
"I think it's because you're under stress." She said finally. "You're angry, so you turned into Felicity, who is full of rage. You're just a little out of whack right now. Calm down, Paige. That's why you're changing, because your emotions are running wild."  
  
"But how can I?" Paige sighed, sitting up once again. "I was trying to be happy; I really was. But everyone and everything around me is miserable. I can't handle it. I'm not strong enough."  
  
Nita shook her head. "Yes, Paige, you are!" She exclaimed. "Just get a little sleep, you'll feel better after that. It always helps me, if I sleep my problems off. They don't go away, but you're more fit to try and solve them."  
  
"I guess you're right." Paige trailed off. Nita smiled, and fixed her glasses. "Nita."  
  
"Yes?" Nita asked, standing up to disappear back to the Potter house.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Nita didn't need to ask what she was being thanked for. She gave Paige a big hug and said with a smile, "What are friends for?" With that, she was gone, and Paige drifted off within minutes.  
  
***  
  
This was it. There was no turning back now, not even for a million Galleons. Nothing could change anything, so he was going to have to do it himself. Even if it meant the end of his life, it was for the better. No one would miss him much.  
  
Sirius stood before a large book, and held a bit of a dried scarlet powder between his thumb and pointer finger on his right hand. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and released his fingers, furiously muttering strange words.  
  
There was an immediate spinning sensation, and Sirius felt suddenly sick. He toppled to the floor in a crumpled heap, with the world spinning around him, wondering if he was going about this in the right way. Had he done something wrong? Would he die like this, and leave everyone to be more miserable than they already were?  
  
His stomach lurched, and the world as he knew it disappeared. What faced him now was a completely blank nothingness, filled with, well, nothing. Slowly, the lurching in his stomach faded away, and Sirius looked to see something in the nothingness. There was a silver gate, a window that held thousands and thousands of books behind it, and a woman.  
  
The woman had white hair, and wore a long white dress, yet she looked as young as he did. Her skin was pale yet glowing, and her pastel blue eyes stared at him in wonder. Her long dress swished as she walked towards Sirius, who picked himself off the ground.  
  
"Tell, me, stranger, what doth bring you here to me?" Her voice was light and airy, almost hypnotizing. "Have ye a name? I am entitled Aes, warden of the Lost Souls. What hath thee done to venture forth into The Spirit Realm?"  
  
Sirius shuffled nervously. "I am Sirius Black." Sirius tried to stand a little taller, but felt that it had been fruitless, as Aes was quite a bit taller than he was no matter what. "I wish to retrieve a soul."  
  
Aes frowned at him. "Tis' forbidden; ye cannot bring forth a soul. They are forever doomed by the gods to live eternally behind the gates and meet their doom. Noble Sirius, though your intentions are good, ye cannot bring back a soul."  
  
Sirius sighed. "Lady, please. My son-in-law was put into a Book of Souls against his will, and the world is chaos without him. Do you know which soul is Bellum Pugnare? He's very important."  
  
"Important or not, I cannot free him. It is not possible devoid of a pure sacrifice. Someone must give existence in exchange for the life of Bellum Pugnare. Love must be strong, tis' a pure sacrifice, free of hatred."  
  
"Take me for him." Sirius whispered. "I don't care about myself. I want my children and grandchildren to be happy. The world will fall into ruins without Bellum; a Seer foresaw it. I don't care if I never see anyone again, as long as I know they're happy. It's all I want. Take me."  
  
"Be sure, dear friend." Aes said, her pale eyes going even paler. "You will keep me company forever. I will free Bellum Pugnare, on account that you never walk the earth again." She held out a pale hand for Sirius to shake.  
  
The gates opened, and a very out of breath Bellum flew out, as if he had been kicked. He landed barely on his feet, and looked to Sirius. His jaw dropped. Aes ignored him. "When you shake thy hand, ye fate is this. Choose well thy fate, Sirius Black."  
  
Sirius looked at Bellum, who was looking around into nothingness, and grabbed Aes's soft hand. The world began to spin again, and he heard himself scream, and Bellum give a yell of shock. Aes laughed softly, and Sirius wondered what would really happen. But there was nothing he could do now. He was forever Aes's companion in The Spirit Realm.  
  
***  
  
Cate had just come from a deep sleep brought forth from a strong sleeping draught. She rubbed her tired eyes, and rolled around in the covers of her bed. Lately she had taken only to waking on for what was necessary for survival; she slept the rest of the time.  
  
Cate was not sure why she was awake at the moment; the sleeping potion should have lasted a few more hours. Had she heard something? Yes, that had been it. There were voices from one of the lower floors.  
  
But that could not have been everything. Deep inside, Cate had a feeling. It was faint, yet it was steady and true. Something was happening, and Cate knew it. Was it good or bad? Should she let the other capable people in the house handle it?  
  
Either way, Cate could hardly move. But that feeling was driving her insane. The sleepy feeling was coming over her again, willing her to fall back asleep. She would have given in to it too, had it not been for the knock at her bedroom door.  
  
"Go away," she tried to say, for she didn't want to be pestered by Sirius again. But the words didn't come out right; perhaps it was that feeling taking her over again. It was so easy for Cate to lose to her feelings. It had been a long while since she had beaten them.  
  
"Cate?" Asked a low melodious male voice. Cate gasped, and sat up as quickly as she could. She rolled out of the bed, and her feet hit the floor with a great thump. The door opened, and Cate stood trembling on the spot, in one of Bellum's old hooded sweatshirts. The strings had been chewed on, and the ends were frayed.  
  
As the door slowly opened, Cate just about fell to her knees in weakness, as she faced someone she thought she would never see again, not in a million years. Robed in pure white, Bellum looked at her with pity, his deep brown eyes reflecting her poignant appearance.  
  
Cate couldn't breathe. Words were caught in her throat, chocking her. Then with a sputter, she coughed, and started to sob like she had never sobbed before. Bellum rushed forward, gathering his wife in his arms, pulling her close to his chest.  
  
Bellum's hands ran through Cate's greasy hair, and he stroked her tear stained cheek. "It's okay, Cate." He said softly. Cate sobbed harder, her hands holding tighter to his body. "Don't cry! I'm here, love. I love you."  
  
Cate looked up at him, and managed to support her own weight as she stood herself up, looking at Bellum's neck closely. There was an ugly scar, which was his souvenir of death. Her fingers traced across it, and after a few long moments, she raised her face to Bellum's and kissed him.  
  
Immediately, she felt his hands travel up her side, and her waist, near to her chest. and a sensation filled her whole body, and she shivered. Bellum tipped her chin up, and hugged her. Cate saw her own ragged reflection in his eyes, and directed the words out of her mouth with difficulty.  
  
"I'm." She trailed. "I'm a mess. I'm sorry! I've ruined everything here!" In shame she buried her head in his chest and began to sob again. Her muffled words were barely audible to Bellum, who had good hearing. "I couldn't hold on without you! I couldn't do it! Faye lost a life, again. Now she only has the normal amount of lives that a person has. It's my fault, Bellum."  
  
Bellum pulled her off his chest, and stood her up. "Cate, it's all over now. I'm here. I'll take care of you all." For a moment, there was a silence, wherein Cate stopped sobbing. Bellum pulled her up and kissed her with every fiber of him wanting to be close to her. Cate reacted late, her hands coming up to his face.  
  
"You. you're real!" She exclaimed, all of the color rushing back to her face. The Cate that had sulked for months slowly melted into a Cate that was glowing softly, her deep brown eyes sparkling with love for her husband. Her hair was neat, and looked washed again. The dark circles under her eyes vanished, and she looked as she always had before. "You aren't a dream!"  
  
Bellum smiled at her, and kissed her tenderly. "Yeah, in the flesh." He breathed, stroking her cheek. Cate went weak at the knees, and pulled Bellum down to the floor with her, rolling on top of him in addition to kissing him.  
  
"Wait." Bellum said to her, licking his lips. "You should thank someone for my existence, Cate; someone who loves you just as much as I do. He made a sacrifice, but was relieved of it, thankfully."  
  
Cate looked up, and turned her eyes to the doorframe, where Sirius was standing in the shadow. He hadn't looked so happy in a long time. Bellum got up from the ground, wiped his lips, and pulled Cate up.  
  
Cate let tears flow freely down her face as she made her way slowly to the doorway. There was a very awkward moment, wherein Cate and Sirius tried to avoid each other's gazes. Bellum gave Cate a gentle nudge, and she wrapped her arms around her father uttering words that she had never said before.  
  
"I love you daddy!" She cried, burying herself in his arms. Sirius gave a sniffle, and wrapped his arms around his oldest daughter. This was what he had missed all his life. It was also what Cate had been missing as well. She felt another kind of love for the first time since she was three. Love for her parents.  
  
"I love you too, Catie." Sirius choked. Bellum stood nearby, smiling upon them. He didn't quite understand how Sirius had managed to get back, when Aes had intended to keep him forever. It was something that he himself would never learn.  
  
"I'm sorry, daddy." Cate cried, pulling away. "I'm sorry I was cold."  
  
Sirius pulled away from Cate, and she dropped back to Bellum, who put an arm around her. "It doesn't matter." Sirius said. "All that matters is your happiness."  
  
He smiled at the pair, and shut the door, leaving them alone with each other. Cate sighed, and leaned against Bellum, feeling happy for the first time in months. Deep inside her, she could feel the baby kicking, probably for joy.  
  
"Have you seen the kids yet, Bellum?" Cate asked softly, kissing Bellum and lacing her fingers through his. Bellum kissed her quickly, and smiled.  
  
"I saw them first. Ethan and Lissy were called home from school, all on my account." He smiled. "I had to see them first; I knew I'd spend the rest of the time with you. Nut you missed quite a sight! Our sixteen year old son was howling so hard he was nearly attracting werewolves!"  
  
Cate smiled. Bellum returned her smile with a grin, and unlaced one of his hands from Cate's and placed it on her belly. He could feel the baby kicking. "I suppose she's been waiting for her daddy to come back before she entered the world as we know it." Bellum said. "Weren't you due on the tenth of March?"  
  
Cate nodded. That was a week ago. It was March the seventeenth in a few hours. The clock had yet to strike midnight, then it would be a new day. A completely new day for the Pugnares.  
  
Bellum could see that Cate was tired, and he knew the reason why when he picked her up off her feet and carried her to the large bed, setting her down. A glance to the small end tables showed him Sleep Potions and a dagger that seemed to be stained with blood. He sighed, and crawled over Cate to his side of the bed, which had been vacant for an elongated period of time.  
  
"Cate, have you been taking sleeping draughts?" he sighed, knowing the obvious answer. Cate nodded, and laid her head on his chest. "You can sleep now, Cate. I'll be here when you wake up in the morning. You need real sleep, darling. Believe me, sleep from potions does you no good whatsoever."  
  
Cate smiled up at Bellum and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He followed suit and drew her closer to him. Cate felt sleep tugging on her mind, and Bellum looked a little pale. At last, when she was sure of Bellum's hand running though her hair, she gave into sleep, and was out like a light in an instant.  
  
***  
  
Felicity couldn't help but smile. Her father was alive again! She needed desperately to tell someone; this was something she couldn't keep to herself. Blick and Malicia were not people to console upon family matters. Definitely not Ariana. But she didn't have any more friends, did she?  
  
After a few moments of blank thoughts running through her mind, Felicity crossed her fingers and appeared on the Gazebo in the Sky. Her eyes wandered around quickly, and she gave a depressed sigh, as she saw nothing.  
  
"Hello, Felicity," said Neil from behind her. Felicity jumped, and wheeled around to face him, with a big grin plastered on her face. Truthfully, Neil was scared; he had never seen Felicity happy before. She appeared delighted to see him, for some reason.  
  
"Oh, Neil!" She cried, leaping forward and hugging him. Now Neil was scared. "Don't look so shocked! I'm not just happy to see you, stupid!"  
  
Now, Neil thought, this sounded more like the Felicity he had always known. What had he been thinking? "Then why are you here? I'm the only one that ever comes here. You want to tell me something, no?"  
  
Felicity smiled. He had read her mind without actually reading it, if sense were made out of that. "My father is alive again!" She squealed, like a little girl, not in the vein of the usual Felicity. Neil was quite amazed. How had this been managed? Bellum was not an heir. He only had one life.  
  
"That's great!" Neil said, not daring break Felicity's cheerful mood with questions. "I'm sure your mother is delighted! Now you can all be happy." He smiled. It wasn't a lie; he actually was happy. A weird feeling filled his chest, as he looked at Felicity dancing about in a un-Felicity- like way.  
  
"I got called from the common room earlier in the day, and I figured my mother had finally croaked. Then when I saw Snape looking as he usually did, bored and rather angry, I figured maybe mum had had her baby or something, since Snape seems to hate the fact that there are more little people related to Sirius Black in the world."  
  
Neil laughed. "He seems to hate the fact there are so any Potters here, too. Or anyone remotely related to anyone that has ever been sorted into Gryffindor." He pursed his lips, looking around for something to sit on, besides the ground. Felicity obliged the both of them with a stone bench, with dragons carved into the marble stone."  
  
"I don't believe the right wing, third floor balcony will miss that bench so much. I don't think any of us even go to that part of the house; it's haunted." Felicity said, with a shrug, taking a seat beside Neil on the bench. They both sighed, and had no idea what to say after that.  
  
Feeling rather brave, Neil cleared his throat, and said timidly, "Uh, I saw you with Blick last night. I toppled over backwards and took off in a sprint." To Neil's eternal relief, Felicity laughed.  
  
"Sorry you had to see that." She said, blushing a little. "It's just kind of funny that I'm the only thing that scares him. And I don't really scare him, he's just a little nervous. No one would ever think it, but Blick is actually quite shy. Malicia on the other hand, is not the slightest bit shy. But everyone knows that."  
  
Neil shuffled. He felt rather nervous around Felicity, too. She was a year older than he was, she was pretty, lethally intelligent, and already on the dark side. But he had no problem talking to her, or sitting by her. She seemed like a nice person once she was away from society.  
  
It was amazing how different people were when you were alone with them. Neil doubted anyone had ever seen this side of Felicity. It gave him a proud feeling; he could be trusted, and people were themselves around him. Perhaps that was a power in its own right.  
  
"You've probably thought I'm just cold and heartless." Felicity said softly. Neil shook his head, but Felicity held a hand up to stop him from talking. "But I really do love my father. Sure, at times I say I hate my mother, but you know, I love her too. It's hard to hate yourself, but I hate myself sometimes too." Felicity paused to heave a heavy sigh. "I never let anyone know, but I feel bad sometimes when I do things that are.. Morally wrong. It's the weirdest feeling in the world; I'm not supposed to have a conscience!"  
  
"Yes you are." Neil sighed. "Even you have misgivings, and it's supposed to be that way." He paused a moment to collect his words and look at the starry sky. The night was so vivid and clear from the gazebo, and it was as if he could reach his arm out and grab a star at that very moment. "Trust your heart, Felicity. It'll get you farther than your head will."  
  
Felicity smiled at him. "You're a good person, Neil." She whispered. "Don't ever change. Stay good forever." She kissed him on the cheek, and Neil felt his face burn scarlet. "Thanks for listening to me babble about everything that's good or bad in my life. Your friends are lucky to have you."  
  
Felicity waved, and Neil sat blubbering by himself as she disappeared. He could feel already that Felicity wasn't going to listen to her heart right away. She was going to learn the hard way, and then when she used her heart, he felt somehow that she would get it broken. But there was really nothing he could do about this feeling. At least that's what he thought. Little did he know that the same thing would happen to him, in the very same way.  
  
***  
  
Cate woke up the next morning, sweating profusely, and breathing heavily. Her breathing then slowed down, as she realized she was wrapped in someone's arms: Bellum's. It hadn't been a dream at all! Oh, he was real, oh happy day! Her hands grabbed his robes tightly, and she hugged him.  
  
Bellum stirred, and gave a satisfied smile. "Mornin', Cate." He said, stretching his arms in the air, and then bringing them back around Cate. "Did you sleep well? I know I certainly did. I haven't slept in mmm. I dunno how long, really. But just having you back in my arms was comfort enough."  
  
Cate shivered. Just because Bellum was there didn't mean that bad dreams had to stop. As usual, glimpses of those that had been murdered years before haunted her. The most common dreams were always those of Tiira and her family. Cate looked up at Bellum, her eyes filled with a new wonder. Bellum didn't know Cate knew who his parents were.  
  
Cate smiled at him, and kissed him gently. With a sigh, Bellum ran his fingers through his hair. Cate was in heaven. It had been so long since she had felt his touch against her body! "Well." Bellum said. "It's nearly noon. Our children are going to wonder if we're alive. But you're going to have a baby soon. Just stay in bed, Catie! I'll cook you up breakfast."  
  
"No!" Cate gasped. Her eyes widened and she hugged Bellum tighter. "Don't leave me!" She was still not completely sane, Bellum gathered from this. He was going to have to gradually work back her sanity, even if it took years.  
  
"Okay, then we can sit in the kitchen and I'll make you breakfast there." He said with a smile. "Sound like a deal, Catie baby?" Cate nodded, and they both dressed quickly. Bellum gave his white robes a look of disgust; neither he nor Cate ever wore robes. It was Cate who had doused this wizarding tradition. Not many witches or wizards these days wore robes; they weren't as fashionable.  
  
"Paaaaaaaigie!" Bellum called on his stroll down the hall with Cate clinging to him. He rapped on Paige's door loudly. "Breakfast, darling!" Not even thirty seconds later, Paige threw open the door, still in her pajamas, and hugged her father tightly. Jack toddled out after her, and babbled all the words he knew.  
  
The four Pugnares traversed down the many winding staircases that led to the main floor. Bellum held Jack, while Cate had a firm hold on the back on his shirt. Paige was telling some sort of story at length, when the kitchen rolled closer. Bellum smiled. He liked to cook.  
  
"Scrambled eggs and pancakes will be today's specialty." Bellum said, licking his lips and going through the cupboards in the spacious kitchen. Jack clapped, and gave a giggle from where he sat on the floor with a sheet of paper and crayons.  
  
From that moment, everything was cheerful. Cate realized that things were like they had always been. Life was okay now! Cate was so wrapped up in the happy moment that she didn't even notice Paige sneak off with a plate of pancakes. Bellum hummed old Frank Sinatra songs as he feasted on his delicious dish of food.  
  
"Ah, did you take pleasure in the régal de pancakes?" Bellum said with a flawless French accent, while leaning back on his kitchen chair, nearly falling over. He carelessly tossed a fork in the air and caught it quickly. Cate giggled.  
  
"I never did understand how you're so coordinated, yet so bad at Quidditch." She said, scooping Jack off the floor. "Something about being even two feet off the floor shock you that much?"  
  
Bellum chuckled. "Yes, there is. I never quite understood how you could fly so easily in the air, yet had to have gone through endless hours of dancing with me to actually become good at it." Bellum crossed his arms, trying to be completely serious. It was an odd manner of his; he could never be serious at breakfast.  
  
Cate couldn't bite back a smile. Not for long, at least. There was a sudden sharp pain all around her middle. She let go of Jack, who slid off her lap and grabbed a fistful of crayons from the floor. Gasping sharply, trying to fight the pain, Cate grabbed Bellum's hand.  
  
There was a loud distinct crunching of bones, and Bellum screamed. Soon Cate was joining him in screaming, yelling that she was in labor. Paige slid into the kitchen by means of her socks, and scooped up Jack. A smile broke out across her face, as she watched her father trying to hex away the pain in his wrist, as Cate tried to stand up.  
  
"The baby's coming!" Cate shouted needlessly. "Paige, get your grandfather. He'll know what to do. Meet us at the hospital with him!" With a painful moan, Cate grabbed hold of Bellum's shoulders, and the pair disappeared without a sound. The baby was coming.  
  
*** For what seemed the millionth time in the past year, Paige found herself in a hospital waiting room. She held Jack, as usual, and Felicity and Ethan were wandering around the lobby, wreaking havoc in their own individual ways. Paige heaved a sigh, and set Jack down to toddle off looking for some sort of toys to play with.  
  
But the Pugnare children were not was exciting at the present moment. Cate was having a baby, Bellum was in his usual nervous wreck when Cate was in labor, and the doctor was a case of his own. Old Doctor Kost had reacted quite as most people would seeing Bellum Pugnare alive and kicking. He had fainted, while muttering things about the dead being alive again.  
  
It took some time for the nurses to revive him, and when he was awake, he looked at Bellum in wonder, and said, "I thought you were dead? The dead can't come back to life; you aren't an heir."  
  
Bellum shuffled. "Long story. I'll explain later." He said shortly. "Right now, my wife is in labor and my wrist has been broken in two different spots." Cate gave a loud shriek of pain to verify that she was indeed having her baby. Doctor Kost, seeing a medical emergency, quickly snapped out of his trance.  
  
Bellum (whose hand was still in pain) reached out for Cate's hand. "Breathe, Catie." He whispered in her ear. "It'll all be over soon, and we'll have another baby! Another beautiful little girl! Ah-ah-ah-OUCH!"  
  
Soon was probably not a good word to describe the pain and agony everyone in the delivery room went through. After 8 hours of screaming, wailing, crying, crunching, crashing, shattering, and all other chaos, Cate finally began to bawl as she finally heard the high pitched wailing of a baby!  
  
Bellum, mangled hand and all, kissed Cate's sweat covered forehead, and hugged her. The nurse leapt at this opportunity to mend his hand. Cate would have looked as if she had been to Hell and back if not for the soft glow her skin gave off. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, as Doctor Kost presented her with a beautiful baby girl.  
  
The whole room went quiet, as Cate smiled when the Faye opened her tiny eyes, revealing them to be brilliant hazel green. Faye herself seemed to be giving off a light aura as well. She was a beautiful baby, with her hazel eyes and small tuft of medium brown hair.  
  
The whole room looked from Cate to Bellum, trying to figure out who Faye looked like. Both Cate and Bellum were dark haired and dark eyed. Cate smiled to herself, and solved the mystery to everyone but Bellum, who was staring.  
  
"She looks like your mother." Cate said to Bellum delicately, smiling an ear-to-ear smile at him. "Isn't she a beautiful baby?" Bellum smiled a small smile. He touched Cate's cheek, and held out a finger for the tiny baby to curl her hand around.  
  
"The most beautiful baby ever." He whispered in Cate's ear, kissing her cheek gently. The whole room murmured, "Aww." before Doctor Kost shooed them all out, leaving Cate and Bellum alone. This was an instant cue for passionate kissing, which of course Bellum and Cate filled out marvelously. "Beautiful like her mother."  
  
"Like your mother." Cate corrected. Bellum kissed her neck and stroked her cheek before he could think of words to respond with. His parents had always been people he had kept secret. It was his own personal thing, his past. It was one of the few things he never told Cate about.  
  
"How do you know about my mother?" He asked, shifting in his chair. Cate sighed. She hadn't wanted to ruin the cheerful moment with talk of murders.  
  
"The dreams I had..." She said. "All I had to do was piece together the clues they left. Your mother and father were Tiira and Venire Pugnare. Tiira's parents were Mors and Sommeil Vox, who was more commonly known as the Dream Witch. Your parents were great people."  
  
Bellum smiled. At that moment he wished that he had told Cate everything there was to know about his family. Everyone he had been related to, and what each person had been like. There were secrets that Cate still did not know; Bellum could tell by a quick sweep of her mind. He made a promise to himself to tell Cate all he knew later, even if it was the one thing he kept personal.  
  
Doctor Kost poked his head in the room. "Nurse Blanche will be taking your new little one." He smiled. "Just the usual tests, she'll be back soon." Cate and Bellum both knew about the extensive tests that were run on Pugnare and black babies. The tests were to check for mental capabilities, so they could prevent a baby from turning into Cate. But there were other tests that tested the powers that each child had. "Uh. Mr. Pugnare?" Doctor Kost asked, scratching his gray hair. "May I see you in private?"  
  
"Whatever you have to say, I'm sure you can say in front of Cate." Bellum said firmly as the timid Nurse Blanche carefully took Faye away from Cate. Doctor Kost shuffled around in the doorframe. "Cate will be needing her sleep, if she's to be ready for parenting again." He said with a glance to Cate.  
  
Cate sighed. "Bellum, darling, talk to the doctor." She paused to shoot Doctor Kost a piercing glare. "Be nice to the doctor, Bellum." Cate beckoned Bellum closer, and kissed him lustrously, and ran her fingers through his hair before Doctor Kost dragged Bellum out of the room.  
  
Cate would have drifted off into a peaceful slumber if not for the soft female voice that hauled her back to where she was. "Wonderful man he turned out to be, correct am I not?"  
  
Turning her tired and weary head, Cate found strength enough to gasp as she faced a pretty woman with wavy light brown hair and bright hazel green eyes. The woman was smiling brightly at Cate. She was standing straight near a table filled with medical utensils that Cate could only imagine what they were used for.  
  
Cate was quite speechless. Was she hallucinating? She was aware that she was not fully mentally capable of coping with the world yet. Were her dreams now haunting her while she was awake too? Wasn't sleep enough?  
  
"I'm real." Tiira said with a small smile. "As is Venire, who is visiting Bellum at this precise moment. Gryffindor sent us back to Earth, for reasons I cannot let be known. Besides, now you can really see who your daughter looks like."  
  
Cate gave Tiira a bemused look. "I remember you vividly, from dreams." Cate said after a few moments of thinking. "Faye looks like you. Does that mean she'll have powers like you as well?"  
  
Tiira pursed her lips and took a seat where Bellum had been earlier: the chair next to Cate's hospital bed. "One can never tell what powers another has by simply looking. The doctors will try and tell you that they've got an idea, but they never do know for sure. They can't see the true extent of anyone's powers."  
  
Cate sighed, as Tiira placed a tender hand on her arm, and looked at her. "Sometimes, even the person with the powers doesn't know." In an instant, Cate knew who Tiira was talking about. Bellum. He didn't know what his powers all were. Sure, he had very faint ideas, which is why he refrained from using them. "Bellum is a coercer."  
  
Cate looked at Tiira with a face that showed mixed emotions. She knew quite well what a coercer was, and it was a very powerful attribute for one to have. A coercer could not only read minds, but control them as well. In truth, Cate had always known. Bellum liked to pretend he had always been normal; he liked not having any freak powers.  
  
Tiira sighed heavily, and laid her head on Cate's arm. "He's my little boy." she trailed off. "I never got to have the joy of raising him. All I could do was watch! My father believed he had gotten to him, but oh, it was painful to watch him endear those awful people day after day. That girl that followed him."  
  
"Dolere." Cate said, with a hard hint of scorn in her voice. "Dolere Viruent."  
  
"Then you came along!" Tiira continued, rolling her head to the side, to look at Cate. Her hazel eyes were filed with wonder. "There was something about you, I suppose. You were evil, oh, just like the rest of them, but what did he find deep inside your heart? He saw your beauty, your grace, your."  
  
"Good side." Cate finished. "It was strange, yet so alluring and attracting. He's amazing, every whim of his personality. He had a way of getting into my heart. No one had ever done that before."  
  
The door opened, and Bellum shot into the room, closing the door tightly behind him. He gave a cry of fright as he saw his mother sitting on a chair beside his wife. Still leaned against the door, he flew forward when it was flung open, and a man that looked nearly identical to him step into the room, quietly closing the door.  
  
"Cate?" Bellum cried, dusting himself as he got off the floor. "Have I gone insane?" He looked from Tiira to Venire, who were both grinning. He looked to Cate, to verify his sanity. "I was having a nice old conversation with the Doc, and then uh."  
  
"Your parents are here, darling." Cate smiled. Bellum let out a sigh of relief, quite happy to learn that he wasn't the only one who was insane. To add even more to the little hospital room, Nurse Blanche scuttled in with Faye, seeing Bellum standing in the middle of the room, looking at an empty chair. Cate was watching some empty space near the window. Quite afraid of both Cate and Bellum, she handed Bellum the baby (she more afraid of Cate than she was of Bellum) and scuttled right back out.  
  
"So they can't see you?" Bellum asked. Tiira and Venire nodded. For yet another interruption, the door opened once again, and all of Cate's family poured in, along with Ethan, Felicity, Paige, and Jack. They were all chattering happily, but that stopped when they caught sight of Tiira and Venire.  
  
Lizzie had a vague recollection of Tiira from the past. Sirius, however, hadn't the slightest idea who either of them was. After a good look at Venire and Bellum, he used his intellect to determine that the both of them had to be related, in some way, to Bellum. Venire's dark eyes were roaming around the room, looking at all the children who were staring at him.  
  
"I'm Tiira Pugnare." Tiira said to all of those who did not know. Ethan, Paige, and Felicity only stared even harder. "And my husband Venire," she said, as Venire smiled, and gave a nod to everyone. "And you all know our son. Bellum."  
  
With this statement, everyone gasped. The Pugnare children had known nothing about their grandparents until this moment, and they had believed Tiira and venire were dead (which they were supposed to be). A very awkward silence filled the room, and everyone shuffled in their spots, not daring to speak.  
  
It was Bellum who broke the silence, with a rather weak statement of, "Uh. Come see the baby everyone!" looking to her sides and seeing only the stone- cold Felicity and confused Ethan, Paige stepped forward, and Bellum smiled rather nervously. "Faye," he said. "Her name is Faye."  
  
Paige smiled, as Bellum knelt down so she could see Faye. The tiny baby's hazel eyes looked up at her, and Paige could have sworn Faye smiled at her. "She doesn't look like the rest of us, does she?" She asked, rather rhetorically. "But she looks like err. Grandma."  
  
Venire couldn't help but grin, making him look like his son more than ever. "Paige." He said; the French accent he had was actually quite audible to the English crowd. Paige smiled up at her newfound grandfather as she was handed Faye. Bellum stood up and smiled at the room, who were a little more relaxed now.  
  
"You lived by us for a while." Lizzie said to Tiira. Tiira nodded, and Lizzie winced. "Awful times, they were. I wish I could have gotten to know my neighbors."  
  
Brynn, Bryce, and Ethan were examining the medical tools by now. "Scalpel!" Brynn grinned. "Bryce needs a brain transplant. Or, I should say, Bryce needs a brain!" Ethan grinned, as Bryce made an angry face. "You shouldn't laugh, Eath!" Brynn added. "You haven't got a brain either!"  
  
"Ethan!" Cate said commandingly. "Stop fooling around and hold your baby sister. That's why you're here in the first place." Ethan gave a dejected sigh, and gathered around Felicity, who looked uncomfortable about holding a baby.  
  
"Ugh," she said. "Children." Quite suddenly, Faye started to bawl, and the room went into silence and then broke out into the substantial, "Aww!" and rushed forward to comfort the crying baby.  
  
Sirius was trying to hold a conversation with Venire, but there was a slight language barrier between the two. Sirius didn't know any French, and Venire didn't speak excellent English. "Eh?" Sirius kept saying when Venire kept falling back to his native language.  
  
With inaudible English, and Sirius not understanding French, Venire then tried Italian, but it was fruitless. Sirius only understood English, and Venire had trouble speaking it. With a shady glance around the room to make sure no one was watching, Venire's form slowly turned into Bellum's.  
  
It wasn't a great change, but he shrunk a few inches, his nose changed, his skin became smoother, and he looked much kinder. Sirius stared. Venire acted as if this occurrence was completely normal, as if he changed into his son every day. He broke into a smile, and said in perfect English, "Now that's better. Makes things easier."  
  
It wasn't long before Bellum noticed a replica of himself talking to his father-in-law. Tiira, who was talking to Lizzie and Cate, hissed something at him in French, and he shot back a quick comment in the same language. Bellum decided to add his word in, as his father was a duplicate copy of himself.  
  
Venire grumbled, and his form melted back into his own. "Hm, is my nose that crooked?" Bellum asked aloud, and Tiira ruffled his hair. Even after traumatizing experiences, mothers would be mothers. And Tiira hadn't seen her son in a great many years. This caused her to suddenly hug the poor befuddled Bellum.  
  
The door opened once more, and heads turned to see who would interrupt this time. Doctor Kost, staring at the noisy family. He took no notice of Tiira and Venire. "Out, everyone!" He said hotly. It had been a looooooong day. "Except the proud parents."  
  
The Blacks and Pugnares scuttled out, save Tiira and Venire, who the doctor could not see. He turned to Cate and Bellum. Bellum was sitting on the foot of the bed with his hand on Cate's leg. Cate was holding Faye, wondering what the doctor was going to tell her now. Tiira and Venire stood behind the doctor, listening intently.  
  
"Now." He sighed, ruffling his gray hair with his wrinkled hand. He was the best doctor in the world, but Cate had always puzzled him, along with her family. "Some time ago, I released the information that your daughter had no extra lives, as the rest of the heirs do, because she had already died twice."  
  
He paused to look at Cate, who squirmed uncomfortably. "But." He continued, "Faye has seven lives." Cate stared, Bellum's eyes widened, and Tiira and Venire went white. "Originally nine, but she has died twice, and she's only a few hours old. To be specific, she died before she was born."  
  
Doctor Kost shuffled in his shiny black shoes, looking at them, as the light bounced off and made them shine even brighter. "We don't know why, or even know if it's true or not. We haven't had any clue to what sort of powers she will have, but we do all agree that she will be mentally stable."  
  
Cate and Bellum both nodded, not knowing what else to do. Doctor Kost kept on telling them things they really hadn't expected to hear. "We can tell she's very magically strong."  
  
The aging doctor seemed to have nothing more to say than, "Get some sleep, both of you. I can tell you need it. I'll take little Faye." He smiled, opening his arms, in a kindly grandfatherly way. "She's a very special baby." As Cate and Bellum kissed their newborn child once before sending her off with the Doctor Kost, he nodded to two vials on a stand. "Drink those, there's one for each of you. I shall see you both in the morning."  
  
Tiira and Venire nodded, as the doctor left. "He's right. Tiira said, speaking for Venire as well. "You need a little sleep, as you're new parents again!" She levitated the small vials towards them, and smiled. "We'll visit the rest of the family."  
  
Cate and Bellum nodded their farewells, and turned towards their vials. Each was filled with a magenta liquid that smelled of pears. "Bottoms up, Catie!" Bellum said, downing his vial. Cate quickly followed suit, and they both instantly felt sleep coming onto them. With a pleasant taste of cherry resting on their tongues, they drifted off silently.  
  
***  
  
It was a few days before anyone left the hospital at all. To the entire staff's relief, Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, Felicity, and Brian had gone back to school. An assortment of odd pranks had been played on them all, and one particular nurse was more than happy to see Brynn, Bryce, and Ethan gone.  
  
Paige and Bridgett had been reduced to sitting in chairs in Cate and Bellum's room, while everyone else chatted about life in general. Sirius and Bellum told their stories, "From there and Back" as they called it. Tiira and Venire also told their story, in length, but had not thought of a creative name for it.  
  
Eventually, everyone reduced to napping for the rest of the hospital stay. Often, Tiira and venire wandered off for unknown reasons, but everyone left them to their business, afraid to get involved with their affairs on earth at the present. There really wasn't much of Faye, who was the reason they were all there anyhow. Cate and Bellum were jittery, and both jumped whenever touched by someone from the "Outside World."  
  
At long last, Doctor Kost, who had become a feared visitor in the spacious hospital room, announced that Cate and Bellum could take their baby home. There was a buzz around the hospital, when someone leaked out who was shut up in the largest room the building held. There were plenty of men hanging around in the lobby, hoping for a glimpse of Cate, while women sat around, hoping to hear she had died, or had at least turned into a normal person.  
  
Sirius peaked around the hallway first, motioning for the caravan of people behind him that it was safe to follow; no bystander that seemed dangerous, just a few old people in wheelchairs. Bellum and Cate were especially trying to keep a low profile. No one had plotted out yet how Bellum would return to society. Tiira and Venire had no trouble, of course, as they were invisible to the normal magical person's eye.  
  
But then it happened, as everyone had predicted it would. From one of the wheelchairs, sprang a young teenage boy, wrapped in various bandages of the sort, shouting like mad. "I've found them everybody!" He screamed at the top of his teenage lungs. "She's had her baby!"  
  
Bellum gasped, and pulled Cate (who was carrying Faye) to the side, and they ducked out into an empty (as far as hospital rooms go) room, which wasn't occupied by anyone. Paige followed closely at their heels. There was a patter of feet all the way down the hall, as the Blacks took off with teenager (and some full-grown adult) trailers at their heels.  
  
"Is it safe?" Paige whispered to Bellum, tugging on his pants. Bellum stuck his tongue slightly out of his mouth, as if concentrating; looked to his left, to his right, and nodded, waving a hand for his accomplices to follow.  
  
Whatever instincts sticking his tongue out provided were not correct. Halfway around a corner, he skidded into a pregnant woman in for her monthly checkup. "Terribly sorry," he said, stopping to make sure she wasn't going to go into labor or anything. That was a mistake.  
  
"Oh, Lord!" The woman cried. "You. you can't be!" She sputtered, starting to breathe heavily. "You're supposed to be dead! And you're supposed to be crazy!" She said, nodding towards Cate.  
  
"Uhh." Bellum said, he had to think quickly. Sometimes fame really had its downside. "You are hallucinating! Yes, I'm not real, and neither are these three. You see no baby, no woman, and no girl! And no me! Hee!"  
  
With a slight squeal, Bellum nodded to the poor woman and sent her on her way, grabbing the nearest means of hiding, which happened to be a cart full of robes for doctors and nurses. Pleased with his sudden find, the Pugnares crept down the hall, eventually arriving at the parking lot, where the Blacks were hiding behind a dumpster.  
  
"Safe!" Paige squealed, dancing around. It felt so good to be out in the fresh, clean, spring air! She could dance, and shout and not have a care in the world. Sirius, Lizzie, and Bridgett waddled out from behind their fort, and took time to smell the air. FLASH!  
  
That was another mistake. There was a flash, followed by several more flashes, and then the flashing was so great, it was blinding. If anyone had actually seen what they were taking pictures of, they would have noticed a horrified Bellum (who was supposed to be dead), Cate with her jaw dropped holding a tiny baby, Paige in mid-jump, Bridgett tripping over her father's feet, and Sirius and Lizzie clinging onto each other ready to fall after Sirius wobbled when Bridgett tripped over him.  
  
Possibly the most comical picture ever taken involving Cate, this picture was on the front page of the newspaper the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. Well, you get my point. Magazines ran this picture on the covers, and the whole story (which, of course, was made-up) was published somewhere between the many advertisements.  
  
Tiira and Venire appeared in front of Cate, both laughing. Cate was looking around madly, quite unready for all the cameras. She had forgotten, in her confused din of a life, that she was the most famous person in the wizarding world, along with Meagan Potter.  
  
Tiira snapped her fingers quickly, and the horrible flashing was gone. Eight people and a baby were in the living room of the Pugnare Estate. Tiira shook her head. "You people are some of the most brilliant magicians, and you can't deal with fame you should be used to by now?"  
  
There was mumble, as all capable of doing magic looked at their feet, shuffling madly. Tiira had done something about Venire's awful English by this point, and he spoke just as well as the others, "Just joking."  
  
Bellum looked more eager to discuss a problem, than to listen to his father try to be funny. "Now they know I'm out here in this screwed up magical world. How are we going to explain that I really am Bellum Pugnare, and that I really was dead? Sirius can verify. Everyone knows what Cate was going through," he said, quickly adding, "No offense, Cate."  
  
"Oh, worry about it later!" Lizzie smiled. "You have a new baby now." She smiled. At the mention of baby, everyone gasped. "JACK!" Suddenly, the toddler's lack of presence became obvious.  
  
"Didn't I tell you to grab Jack before we left, dad?" Cate asked angrily. Sirius mumbled something that sound like I thought Lizzie was getting him. There was a sudden panic about the room.  
  
"Daddy!" Came a very small voice amidst the commotion. Silence filled the room, everyone turned abruptly to face a nearly two-year-old baby boy with tufts of dark brown hair smiling at them, with his chocolate brown eyes sparkling. He was holding a candy bar in his hand, and some chocolate was already smeared on his face.  
  
Venire grinned from his smug spot near Tiira in the corner. "Oh, you aren't funny." She whispered, elbowing him. "You could have told them that Jack got transported here with the rest of us."  
  
Bellum scooped up his son, and carried him over to Cate, who held Faye. "See your sister again? " he whispered. Jack threw his arms in the air excitedly. "Isn't she a pretty baby?" Jack giggled excitedly.  
  
"Baby, baby, baaaaaaby!" He screeched. Jack had never seen a baby before; he had always been the baby. His babying would not come to an end though, now that Faye was the baby. He still had grandparents to spoil him rotten. And they obliged quite well to that.  
  
Settling in was a hectic event. Both sets of grandparents cradled Faye while Cate and Bellum set everything they wanted up. Cate was still too paranoid for a nursery. "It's too far away from our bedroom!" She mused aloud, after Bellum had dragged baby furniture to the room a few doors down from theirs.  
  
"She'll sleep in our room for a good long time!" Cate proclaimed. "We can put the basinet there, next to our bed. On my side, mind you," she added to Bellum. "So you don't knock it over when you roll out of bed each morning."  
  
Tiira and venire proved to be helpful houseguests. Paige didn't have to mind Jack, and could visit Nita quite freely now. Tiira smiled at her, for making friends in her own way, not falling under the Potter/Pugnare Hate Clan. Tiira herself had broken away from the bad, and did what she felt was right.  
  
"You've got more courage than we all know." Tiira said softly to her granddaughter, before letting her go off to play with her friends. "Someday, you'll show us all just how brave you are."  
  
Paige merely nodded; she didn't want to be brave, or anything. She just wanted to be a normal, magical girl who could choose for herself who her friends could or could not be. Life was just so complicated! Why couldn't Cate and Meagan be friends? Why could they at least remotely like each other? Well, life went on, no matter what.  
  
***  
  
Meagan gave a sighed, and stretched. The day had been perfect so far. Everything seemed so right, so great. Each tiny baby was asleep in her cradle, peacefully slumbering without a care in the world. There was no love like a love for your child, there was no doubt about that.  
  
A peaceful spinning sensation took over in Meagan's head, spreading throughout her body. Meagan could tell what was coming now. She jumped to the bed and landed softly on the pillows; her spirit left her body at that very moment, traveling to that familiar, black, starlit place she so often visited.  
  
"Hello, Meagan," greeted Godric Gryffindor with a smile. His eyes were not as alight as they usually were. In fact, he looked rather troubled. Meagan threw her arms around him in a great embrace; then pulled away, to wait for his explanation of the situation she had been called for. This time.  
  
But, as usual, Gryffindor was going to through long explanations, and teach Meagan a few lessons before she was to hear the relative point of this summoning. Gryffindor smiled at her this time, instead of a morbid from. Perhaps this was going to be a happy event?  
  
"Meagan, my young heir." He said. A thoughtful looked crossed his face, and he looked at Meagan as if he were seeing her in a new light. "You could have very well been the heir for any of the Four Founders." He said. Meagan smiled, knowing that her eyes were changing to a content sea blue color. "You have cunning, and use it in the right ways. You are very wise, and seem only to get wiser over the years. Loyalty and hard work is something you value. You're sweet and innocent, when you wish."  
  
Meagan smiled at him. He was like a father or grandfather that she never really had in her teenage and adult years of life. His scarlet robes reminded Meagan of Cate, though, so she focused on the face that resembled hers so greatly.  
  
"But most of all, you have bravery." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're willing to sacrifice anything for people that are friends and family, and do not even show concern for you at all."  
  
"Like Cate?" Meagan asked softly. "She's like my own troubled child. I want to do things for her, but I can't! She won't love anyone except Bellum." There was a flash in Meagan's mind, involving how Cate could possibly be related to Gryffindor. All she did was sulk all day long, feeling sorry for herself, without the courage to love anyone else. How could she be an heir to the Gryffindor throne?  
  
Gryffindor seemed to know what Meagan was thinking, judging by his next question. "Meagan, could you be kind enough to define the meaning of the word bravery?" As Meagan thought, Gryffindor studied her face, which was contorted, looking for the right words to use.  
  
"The willingness to sacrifice yourself for the good of others, good or bad." She said slowly. "Courage to do something that involves a personal sacrifice." Gryffindor's eyes told her that he wanted an example of this definition, so Meagan obliged. "Turning to fight the most evil wizard ever known, willing to die for he safety of someone you don't even hold close to your heart. If I were to die for Snape, say."  
  
Gryffindor pursed his lips, holding back a smiled. "How do you think Cate would define bravery?" He asked. Meagan went thoughtful once again. This was a little tougher; as no one could ever tell what Cate was truly thinking, mind reader or no mind reader. Cate didn't seem to value anything at the moment, except perhaps her memories.  
  
"Courage in the face of danger." Cate said, trying to say something nice aloud. After all, Cate was a direct descendant of Gryffindor. The thought of Cate's definition of bravery long ago wandered into Meagan's mind. Cate had said bravery was blind stupidity. There were other ways to get things done, without charging into a fight and needlessly sacrificing yourself.  
  
"Can you name one way Cate is brave?" Gryffindor asked in contrast to this. This left Meagan confused. "This is a bit of an unfair question," admitted Gryffindor solemnly. "You and Cate are but two different people, and therefore think in different ways. For you, bravery is a sacrifice of your body or soul; to Cate bravery is just staying alive day by day. She wanted so desperately to end her life. Bellum chose his last words carefully, and those words were what kept Cate alive."  
  
Meagan knew what he had said; she had chatted more than a few times with the ghost of Bellum at the party thrown to announce the birth of the triplets. It was so strange how no one had given much of a notice to Bellum before; he had always shoved himself to the side, away from the fame.  
  
"He's back, Meagan." Gryffindor. Meagan gasped. "A sacrifice from Sirius. He wanted his family to be happy. The effects had hit Cate hard, and things were settling down on Paige, their daughter that is of the same age as Juanita. She'd been taking care of her brother, along with a number of other stressful situations that were hard enough without a miserable father.  
  
"Sirius gave himself up for the return of Bellum. The keeper to The Spirit Realm is a woman called Aes, and she longed for someone to keep her company. Sirius traded his life for Bellum's life."  
  
Meagan's jaw dropped. Life without Sirius? Was he gone? She would never see him again? Gryffindor smiled at her obvious degree of shock. "I pulled strings to bring him back. I fear this will be the end over my control of these life situations. There are two mortal people back from the dead that should never walk the earth again due to their personal sacrifice, or fate. I'm sorry I can't help you much anymore. Bringing Sirius and letting Bellum go is about the extent of my power from here."  
  
That did not worry Meagan too much. But Gryffindor's next statement did. "Since I have little influence now, you shall have a great majority of influence on the lives of the Pugnares. You must keep a very close watch over Bellum, who is the most important person on the earth right now, whether you know it or not."  
  
Bellum? Meagan thought. He never seemed that clever, or powerful. She had never seen him do anything magically impressive. He had the sense knocked out of him (literally) and pushed off to the side when everything else happened. The only thing she could was the first time she had ever met him. When he wasn't yet married to Cate. He had frozen her in her own body with some little invention, and scared her quite well. And he was an agent, for the American Ministry. But she knew so little about his past.  
  
"You'll have to con all his powers out of him," said Gryffindor. "He's got more than you and all your family members combined, but he doesn't know he has that many. I don't even have a clue to what most of them are. I can tell you that he is a very dangerous person in his own right, and he doesn't want anyone to know what powers he has. There is one power he uses just about every day, as it is the only one he can control. Bellum is a coercer; he can read and control your thoughts. Why have you never noticed what he does before? Because he controls your mind into thinking he is a simpleminded man with nothing special about him. You have to fight these thoughts to get through his power."  
  
Meagan nodded. "I'll try to keep him safe from whatever harm comes his way, and his family too. They'll be having their baby soon, then?"  
  
"They already have," Gryffindor smiled. "A beautiful baby girl called Faye. You'll find out on your own what this child is. You'll find out what she is capable of." He suddenly broke into laughter at Meagan's serious face. "Did I ever tell you why you and Marykate were created?"  
  
Meagan shook her head, and blew a few dark brown strands out of her face. "Lizzie was the only remainder of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and I foresaw a dark future for her. Before she was born, I foresaw her future. Her parents were to die a terrible death, and she was going to die with them. Not wanting to take chances, I created you and Marykate. You were to be a perfect pillar of bravery, strength, courage, and wisdom. Mark my word, you have not disappointed me. You altered the vision I had."  
  
Gryffindor was about to go into a similar speech he had given to Cate quite some time ago. "Without you, there never would have been Cate. James and Lily never would have lived to have Harry; Remus Lupin would have been buried in his werewolf troubles, and would have done away with his life at the age of thirteen. Bellum, not having Cate, would have been discovered, and killed off. Sirius would have been killed long before the Potters, not by Voldemort, but by James himself, believing his best friend was trying to sell him over, whilst it was Peter who sold you all over. Peter Pettigrew would eventually overtake Lord Voldemort, and reign for years as the supreme dark wizard."  
  
"Dark and gloomy without me, isn't it?" Meagan asked with a tone of humor. Gryffindor grinned. "Never take your being an heir for granted. Without you, the world will fall. Bellum does not have an idea how to use his powers, and you are going to have to get around Cate to counsel him. You will have help, only for a short time. When you return to your body, help will arrive soon. Take care of the world, Meagan. Think of it as babysitting. Babysitting the whole world with taking care of but a few people."  
  
Meagan sensed a goodbye coming on, so she threw her arms around her creator once more, and nodded. "I will." She said softly but firmly. "Don't worry. The world is safe in my two hands. Or my four paws, whatever."  
  
The dizzy swirling sensation engulfed Meagan's body again; there was no fighting it. With what felt like a fall, she was back in her body, on her bed, and one of the triplets was crying. Help will arrive soon, she thought. I wonder what he meant by that! That was when she heard the doorbell ring.  
  
***  
  
Appearing downstairs, with one baby in her arms, Meagan opened the door, only to be confronted by a complete stranger. On any other occasion she would have taken the pretty green eyed woman for a reporter, and would have shooed her off. But Gryffindor had warned her.  
  
"Come in," Meagan said, rocking the gurgling baby. The woman looked around, and pushed a wavy piece of light brown hair from her face. She smiled at Meagan and Abigail, the triplet Meagan hand in arm. "I don't mean to be rude, but can you tell me who you are?" She asked, leading the woman to the living room and gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch.  
  
"You know me, however very, very distantly." The woman said with a smiled. "Rack your brain, Meagan." She said. Meagan bit her lip and concentrated; she seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. There was something vaguely familiar about this person, now that she thought about it.  
  
There was something about the way her eyes sparkled, and the way she grinned. Her nose looked very familiar, along with the general shape of her face. She looked like a very nice person, perhaps a saintly figure. But there was something foreboding about her as well. Her kind face hid great evil that had once lurked.  
  
"Think about what happened when you were fifteen." The woman said softly. A lot of things had happened to Meagan when she was fifteen; it was going to take some time for her to find this woman's face in the crowd of people.  
  
Perhaps it was school? This woman had a strong English accent, so it was unlikely she was foreign. Or was she?  
  
*  
  
Meagan had only gone one place out from school when she was fifteen, and that was her family trip to Paris in the summer before she started school. All Meagan could recall was a massacre on the streets that she could never prove, but suspected it involved magic.  
  
A teenage girl had crashed into her on a dark night Meagan ventured out alone to investigate. "Who're you?" The girl had asked, looking around with terror. "You can't stay here, it isn't good! The evil will take over!"  
  
Meagan recalled staring for a moment, before replying, "Meagan Delmore." The girl pulled her off to an alley, and kept looking around, as if she were the most paranoid person alive. "Who're you?"  
  
"Tiira Vox." The girl had gasped, and there was a flash, that made the alley as bright as daylight, revealing wavy light brown hair and hazel green eyes.  
  
*  
  
"Tiira Vox." Meagan said. It was amazing how a person could force their mind to remember such little things from so long ago. Smiling contentedly, Meagan rocked Abigail and looked at Tiira, who was also smiling.  
  
"Close." She said. "Vox was my maiden name. I was the daughter of Mors Vox, whom you know by means of chasing Cate through a rather hard period of her life. But my surname now, perhaps, would be too hard to guess. I believe you are more than accommodated with the name Pugnare?"  
  
Meagan hadn't an idea of what to say to this, but with her experience earlier with Gryffindor, she had learned to let people keep on talking, so she didn't have to ask what she wanted to know. Tiira, like Gryffindor, obliged greatly.  
  
"The massacre you saw in Paris was the result of my parents, Mors and Sommeil. My mother, Sommeil, is also known as The Dream Witch, though you have lived a sheltered life in Britain and the States, and have not heard of her, I expect. But she's had a great effect on you. Do you have dreams of the future, that you never wanted to ever know?"  
  
Meagan nodded. "Cate has dreams of the past, dreams of me." Tiira said. "She's cursed you both, I'll explain in a few short moments." Tiira shook her head, and quickly went on to her explanation. "My parents killed the Pugnares, save one poor man named Venire. Venire was good, and he wanted to be bad. He wished his family would die, and then they did.  
  
"I was the opposite. I was born into a bad family, wishing I were good. One fine day, I had enough of everyone in the ruddy castle we called home, enough of Vir Virulent, the father of Dolere, and enough of my parents. I ran away, and can you guess who saved me from dying of exhaustion?"  
  
"Venire Pugnare." Meagan said. She was hearing the story of how Bellum had come about. It was rather humorous, if she thought about it. Tiira did not really remind Meagan much of Bellum, but there was still Venire to account for.  
  
"Indeed so." Tiira said. "He found me, without knowing who I was, and then I think you can guess the rest of the story. We fell in love, were married, and we had Bellum. Of course my father heard of this, and we fled to the safe haven of many people. The United States. We were safe there for a few years. Bellum was growing up nicely, Venire was learning English, and we were going to have another baby. It was going to be a girl.  
  
"A peaceful evening, we were having dinner, when I had a premonition, a vision. I saw our deaths. Mors Vox was going to eliminate us, and take Bellum. So I took Bellum, and we tried to escape. Venire was killed, thought he finished a few members of the crew that was to finish us off. They got me, but by the time I died, no one was left, except little Bellum. There was a time stop somewhere in between; time stopping is one of the many things he is capable of."  
  
Meagan made a mental note not to underestimate any of the Pugnares in the future, in case they had any of Bellum's many powers, which were currently unknown. "You must find out the majority of his powers, and teach him to control them. Heaven knows that he may use them if he knows them all. He doesn't know how to use them; they know how to use him, though. Be very careful, or his powers may deal with you. And watch out for Cate."  
  
"Babysitting is always fun," said Meagan with a grin. "Even if it is watching over grown men and their families." Tiira gave a hearty laugh. Meagan smiled; Tiira seemed like a nice person. It always seemed as if the nice people of the world met the same dark fate that they had not asked for.  
  
Tiira would have replied, but there was a great crash from the kitchen, and a dark haired man strolled out trying to act innocent, looking around nervously. He caught sight of Tiira, and shrunk back against the wall. A wiry grin appeared on his face, as he saw Meagan, though, as if he were saved.  
  
"Venire." Tiira said slowly. "What was that?"  
  
"Nothing much." Venire said, putting his hands in his pockets, trying still to look innocent, but failing. He smiled like a mischievous schoolboy at Tiira and Meagan, before the footsteps of the terrible Twins thundered down the stairs.  
  
"Come back here, mister!" Jo yelled.  
  
"We didn't even get a shot at YOU!" Jess added. Venire scratched his head, and flew towards the couch. With a mighty leap, he bounded from the couch to the loveseat, and the twins bounded after him.  
  
"It isn't fair!" Jo yelled again. "You keep changing shapes! That's breaking the rules!"  
  
Meagan and Tiira stared, deciding to let the three duke this fight out by themselves. Venire gave a grin, which made him look a lot more like Bellum than Meagan had noticed at first. In an instant, a rain cloud appeared above each twin's head, and began to rain.  
  
"You're gonna pay for this!" Jess screeched, trying to escape her cloud, but failing. The clouds followed them whenever they moved, and when they had a naughty thought, they were rewarded with a zap from a lightning bolt.  
  
"Remind him to teach me that trick." Meagan told Tiira with a grin. Tiira nodded fairly. The twins were shouting at the top of their lungs, as Venire, a grown man, grinned like a child. "So now I see where Bellum gets it all."  
  
"Of course you do." Tiira said quickly. "You didn't think for an instant that he got his weirdness from me, did you?" Meagan shook her head. "Good." Tiira said. "Perhaps it is time for that man to stop bouncing on your couch cushions, and go back to his own grandchildren to wreak havoc. It was nice to meet you again, Meagan."  
  
"Have a pleasant stay on earth!" Meagan called, as Tiira lunged for Venire, and the pair disappeared. Meagan rounded on the twins, whose rain clouds were starting to fade. "Now, see, you two rascals. That just proves that there are people out there who are more than a match for you. Stop pestering everyone, or I'll have him called back again, and then I'll have him conjure a thunderstorm!"  
  
***  
  
"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore!" Came a strong tenor voice echoing off the many hallways in the Pugnare mansion. The sound of the song lingered in the air before Cate tore around the corner, laughing and giggling as if she were twelve.  
  
"When the world seems to shine, like you've had too much wine, that's amore!" Cate let out a shrill giggle, and skidded around another corner, thus skidding into Bellum, who swallowed her up in a gargantuan hug. Cate sighed contentedly, and rested her head on his chest.  
  
"If I could sing, I would." Cate said, not daring to even attempt song, for she was an awful singer. Bellum took her hand, and spun her around in a few circles. Nearby lingered a bassinet suspended in mid air, floating about where Cate and Bellum moved. Sleeping peacefully, little Faye had not even the slightest idea she was moving around the house.  
  
"I'm in the mood for love," Bellum sang, starting a new song. Cate smiled, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and tilted her head to the side to watch him serenade her from inches away. "Simply because you're near me!"  
  
Cate was quite familiar with the old songs Bellum often sang when he was in the mood, as he sang them quite often. The men that sang these songs had been dead long ago; way before Cate had even known Bellum, and the songs were older than even her parents. Sometimes Cate wondered just what Bellum did in the spare time he had.  
  
At the present moment, Cate found herself being tipped backwards in an elegant ballroom style, only to be kissed by Bellum. Not to be outdone, fate responded with a customary knock at the door. Bellum up righted Cate, and kissed her quickly, before skidding off, in the middle of a song.  
  
"Let's fall in love," Bellum was belting out at the top of his lungs, as he threw the door open, expecting to find a reporter of some sort. Hand poised to reach for the door knocker, Meagan Potter was staring at him with a gaping mouth.  
  
"Uh." She said, taken aback. "Let's not."  
  
Bellum was rather puzzled as well. "Are you here to see Cate, or something?" He asked. Meagan shook her head furiously. "Well, then." Bellum scratched his head, and Meagan was sharply reminded of Venire. She wondered briefly if Bellum could handle the twins.  
  
Her thoughts were only brief, because there was an interruption that went by the name of Cate. She gave Meagan a livid glare, and flexed her fingers. In a semi-panicked state, Bellum rushed over to her, and grabbed her at the waist. To Meagan's eternal surprise, Cate collapsed in his arms, and Bellum gave a grunt, as he hoisted her so he could carry her.  
  
"Do you do that often?" Meagan asked, letting herself into the mansion, and closing the door behind her. Bellum gave her a puzzled look. He was pretending to be innocent, pretending not to know anything. This time, unlike the other times, Meagan could see through it. "Stop pretending I'm speaking some sort of foreign language. I know that you know perfectly well what I mean."  
  
Bellum heaved a sigh, and tried to shift Cate's weight. "Why don't we have a seat?" He asked, shifting once again. Meagan followed him into the sitting room, which was full of white furniture. As fast as he could go, Bellum ran to the sofa, and plopped over, resting Cate's head on his lap.  
  
Meagan settled in on the comfortable chair, and faced Bellum, who was not looking at her. She sighed. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought it would be to get him to fork over information on himself, and his family for that matter. Bellum was absently watching Cate's chest move up and down, for proof she was alive, or something along those lines.  
  
"So what brings you here?" Bellum asked finally, looking up at Meagan. For an instant, Meagan thought she caught a hint of agitation. But he went back to pretending to be confused. His eyes were watching something beyond her. With one quick glance, Meagan sighted the bassinet, and smiled.  
  
"Nothing in particular." She said innocently, getting up from her seat to look at Faye. The baby was awake, and looking up at her in wonder. "Can I hold her?" Meagan asked, wheeling around to Bellum again, who was currently running his hands through Cate's soft hair. He shrugged, to show his approval.  
  
"I know you want to know about my incredibly interesting past, and my powers, and all that nonsense." He said irritably. "If it's any consolation to you, I don't even know what they are, and I never use them anyhow. So you don't need to know." He finished, with a distinct hmph noise.  
  
Meagan scooped up Faye, and sat back in her chair. Bellum wore a wiry grin on his face, as he tried to fight back a laugh. "And even if I used them, I couldn't use them now." He mused aloud. Meagan pondered this. It made no sense. "Why don't you try to zap me, or something? Read my mind. Try it."  
  
Meagan cocked a brow at him. She decided to go for the mind reading option, since she would have to move to zap him. He looked her straight in the eye, with that smile getting ever wryer by the instant. Meagan tried to look into his head, but found it impossible.  
  
"What did you do to me?" She cried, fixing Bellum with a rather terrifying glare.  
  
"I did nothing at all." He replied, smile getting even wider. "Why don't you have a look at Faye, just for a second." Meagan looked at the baby in her arms once again; she saw the tufts of brown hair, and purple eyes. PURPLE EYES?!  
  
Meagan stared up at Bellum, who shrugged. "You see, I discovered recently that one of Faye's powers must be to take the powers of everyone around her. That is why I am telling you everything right now I know about this, instead of pretending to be stupid."  
  
Meagan nodded. "Will my powers return, then?" She asked, quite hopefully. Bellum nodded, and explained at length about how there was a certain distance in which Faye took in power. There were complications that neither Bellum nor Meagan fully understood, but there were years ahead to unlock the baby's secret powers.  
  
"Well, I've been assigned babysitting duty over all of you. That includes Cate as well, but she's not supposed to know." Meagan said finally. "It would be quite helpful if you shared any sort of information about you or your family members." Meagan said this fairly, but she fixed Bellum with a meaningful glare that said quite plainly or else.  
  
Bellum heaved a sigh, and leaned back on the couch. He ran his fingers through his own dark hair, causing it to stick up in various places. His eyebrows narrowed in a way that hinted at concentration, as if he were trying to decide for himself what he was capable of.  
  
"As I said, I never use my powers," he repeated. Meagan glared. "But if it suits you, I do use one occasionally. I'm a coercer. I can control your thoughts and read your mind. Not at the moment, don't worry; Faye's got my powers now. Hmm. I can control the weather. and stop time. That's all you're getting out of me at the moment."  
  
He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms in a final sort of way. Meagan would settle for this information about Bellum; he seemed more stubborn than he looked. Bellum then remembered that he was not the only member of his family, and started to explain about the other Pugnares.  
  
"Ethan." He started. "Well, he doesn't really use his powers much. Everyone can read minds, and Ethan is a bit of a coercer, but not very strong. He doesn't know it, so don't go telling him what he can do, or we'll all suddenly notice that Ethan is the most popular person at Hogwarts.  
  
"Felicity, what a trouble. She has her mother's powers. Nothing much from my side of the family that I can see, yet. Isn't that a comforting thought? She'll go mad one day and then poof! She'll get my powers. Yes, yes, I'm rambling.  
  
"You won't have much trouble with Paige. She's a perfect child. If you were ever over here when I err-- wasn't, you might have noticed how she handled everything. Paige can shift shapes. She can also put a stopper in time. Give her a while to learn to perfect these on her own, and you won't believe what she will be capable of."  
  
Bellum paused to scratch his head. Meagan really didn't know what to make out of all this. As far as she knew, Bellum had never talked this much in his entire life. She had certainly not said more than about twenty sentences to him, save the time he was amnesiac.  
  
"Now Jack and Faye are their own separate little people. Jack can shift shapes, and he already has control of this power. I'll bet he's roaming the house someplace as old Padfoot the dog. Faye, as far as I know, just takes in everyone's power. And that's all. Oh, and I'm very dangerous around broomsticks."  
  
Meagan stared. This was going to be very interesting. Actually, take very times about ten thousand, and that would be how interesting this situation would be. She grinned to herself as Bellum sat with his brow furrowed in thought. Cate wouldn't have a clue what was going on. She might as well have a little fun.  
  
"And don't go near the master bedroom on the third floor after ten o'clock p.m." He added. "If you're watching us, you probably won't want to watch that room." Meagan decided not to ask. It was best not to.  
  
There was a period of silence, as neither knew what to say. Bellum stroked Cate's cheek, and Meagan could tell he was waiting for her to leave so he could wake his wife up again. But Meagan had no intention of leaving. He hadn't cut to his point right away, so having nothing else to do, Meagan decided to stay and chat for a while.  
  
"Are you and Cate going to the Hogwarts reunion?" She asked. The reunion loomed closer and closer; the Potters had it marked on a calendar. Meagan was already planning what to wear, and the songs she would sing, because she had been asked to provide entertainment.  
  
"Um, I think so." Bellum said. He scratched his head. Technically, he wasn't really a graduate of Hogwarts, and neither was Cate. But Dumbledore had given both of them diplomas saying that that had attended school there. It was true that Cate did, but only for a short while. This made Bellum laugh; he had never taken a class there, or in a real school at all, but they gave him a diploma. "Cate's got some dresses lined up, so I suppose that means she's trying to choose her attire."  
  
Meagan nodded. This would be interesting; she had forgotten Cate wasn't depressive anymore, and would probably put on a show for the crowds. Great, just what Cate needed, Meagan thought. More attention.  
  
"Well, I must be going." Meagan said, standing up and placing Faye back in her bassinet. Bellum nodded. "And, I must add that you aren't half bad at singing, either. Add that to your list of talents."  
  
Before Bellum could give up an embarrassed protest, Meagan smiled, and disappeared, leaving Bellum to be befuddled. That was certainly one of the most interesting things that had happened lately. He now had that estranged feeling of being watched. But not just by Meagan, either.  
  
***  
  
It was a beautiful day in the basement. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the crowd was roaring. In the basement. Bellum Pugnare grinned to himself, and looked at the broomstick at his feet. The crowd roared, and Bellum was inspired to stick his hand out and say, "Up!"  
  
Nothing happened. Bellum groaned to himself, and reached down and grabbed the broom. He took a bow, and the crowd roared even more. Now a problem faced him. How was he to stay on the broom? He mounted it shakily, and it took off with such a force, that Bellum was clinging on upside down, his arms clinging, and his legs twisted around the end of it.  
  
He could feel his arms slipping, and his legs were shaking. Was he going to die again? Was he going to fall off his broomstick because he couldn't fly? What a noble end for someone like him to meet. He closed his eyes, and whispered something to himself. Was this the end?  
  
Nope, instead of falling from the indoor/outdoor basement/Quidditch fiend complex in the mansion, Bellum was on the ground, looking up at a fuming Meagan. Her eyes were red with fury, and so was her face. With her hands on her hips, looking down at him on the ground, she was very threatening indeed.  
  
"What are you going at?" She screamed at him. "It hasn't been an hour, and you decide to pretend you know how to fly?" She screamed further. Bellum stared at her, as if it were no big deal.  
  
There was a silence, and Bellum broke it with the wrong choice of words. "I've been thinking." He started.  
  
"I didn't know you were capable," snapped Meagan.  
  
"Well, I was just going to tell you that I forgot to mention Faye has nine lives." He said, picking himself nobly off the ground, and sticking his nose in the air. "Actually, she has seven, but she's already used two of them."  
  
Meagan blinked. People made no sense to her sometimes, making her glad she was not a psychiatrist or some other sort of person that dealt with. people. "Well that's very nice to know." Meagan said, still a little irritated that Bellum was so careless. "Be more careful in the future, or the world will be turned upside down. And stay away from sharp objects."  
  
***  
  
For the first time in centuries, Hogwarts was not full of students. The Great Hall was not bustling with students chatting gleefully before they moseyed on off to class. Every which way there were full-grown adults, some younger, and some looking ready to fall over dead.  
  
The Hall looked more splendid than ever, with its marble flooring shining, and the decorations were furnished with splendid banners of the four houses. The usual teachers, who looked more ancient than the walls, occupied the teacher's table as they always did, with the exception of Harry Potter, who was currently not there.  
  
Dressed in sharp evening gowns, the ladies all clung to men dressed in fine suits, while sipping glasses of champagne, while chatting to their friends that had been separated for years, or even decades. The hall buzzed with pleasant excitement, as old Professor Dumbledore smiled down upon them all.  
  
Then the buzz suddenly stopped. Down the red carpet, the path cleared, and Meagan and Harry Potter looked at the crowd in a kindly sort of way. Meagan was dressed in a sleek and stylish peach colored gown, lined with lace. Harry was in a suit, and his hair was smoothed down as far as it would go.  
  
The pair smiled at the staring people, and waved to a few they knew, as they proceeded down the carpet like the stars they were. A few women cast jealous looks to their husbands, who were watching Meagan. Harry potter got the usual stares, and tried to make nothing of it.  
  
Behind them, Marykate and Ron Weasley tried to keep a low profile. But Ron couldn't resist grinning at the fact people were watching him walk in. Marykate took a bow, as someone gave a hoot. Her sea green dress glimmered in the light, and Meagan threw her a look that told her how nice it was to see her again.  
  
There was now a thick tension in the hall. Would there be another important couple arriving. The newspapers had all been read, and sold out, with a picture of the bewildered Pugnare family gracing the covers of every magazine and newspaper for the past three weeks. Were Cate and Bellum going to show?  
  
It was a while before the doors burst open, and a sight that had been so familiar but a year ago was now the first time Cate had stepped out in months. The result was instant silence. Even Dumbledore had fallen silent, with his glass of pumpkin juice half-raised to his mouth.  
  
Cate was clinging to Bellum's arm, in a red dress that clung to every subtle curve of her bodacious body. The silken red fabric was off her shoulders, creating a low neckline, which was emphasized by ruffled with black and red velvet. A slit made its way up Cate's leg, revealing shoes that lace to her knee. Her hair was done up in twists and braids, and curled into a ringlet ponytail. Cate's red lips were grinning, and her skin was glowing. All the men stared, but this time their counterparts did not nudge them.  
  
The female populace was busy watching Bellum, who was dressed in the typical Bellum-styled suit, with a silken red tie. His tuxedo jacket was bothering him obviously, as he was fidgeting with it. Apart from his usual attire, he wore a hat, which was tipped to one side to match his mischievous grin.  
  
One way or another, the crowd was too fascinated with their appearances to care whether or not Bellum was back from the dead. After what seemed an eternity, Cate and Bellum promenaded down the carpet, and took their seats at a table near the front, near what was a stage assembled for entertainment.  
  
It was a moment before the crowd fell into a quiet buzz, all turning to watch Cate and Bellum. Cate sipped at a glass of red whine, which Bellum opted for the white; all while carrying on some sort of public conversation that no one listened to.  
  
"Ahem." Dumbledore stood up with what seemed great difficulty, tapping on a glass of pumpkin juice for attention. "If you will all be so kind as to take your seats, then I shall begin the welcoming speech."  
  
More quietly than expected, the graduated crowd of Hogwarts found seats in the massive hall, and stared intently at Albus Dumbledore, who smiled at all his pupils. "Welcome to the all-school reunion. I'm sure you're all more than pleased to be acquainted with your old school chums, and even your rivals. This is an evening to reminisce. With that, all I have to say is oddment, nitwit, blubber, tweak! Let the feast begin!"  
  
With that short speech, the feast began. Food appeared before each guest, and it was exceptionally pleasing, as they all got the dish their taste buds had been waiting for. It was the best dinner any of them had feasted on in a long time. Many people had come from foreign places, where they now made their homes.  
  
Meagan and Marykate were getting on very well, as Harry and Ron were both red in the face with excitement to see each other. It had been so long since they had conversed amongst themselves. It had been practically since. school.  
  
"Let's make a pact," said Meagan to Marykate. "That we never go that long again without seeing each other." Both of them giggled, as Ron had spilled food down the front of his suit.  
  
"These people are insane," Cate was saying to Bellum. Bellum nodded furiously. A woman in a black dress had been eyeing him up since they arrived. "I don't trust the half of them," added Cate as she pushed a stray piece of hair from her face. Two men fainted at the table next to them.  
  
Draco Malfoy was present, alone in a corner with a blonde pregnant woman. She seemed to be years younger than he was, and was pregnant with his son. No one missed Dolere, not ever her own family. During their marriage, Draco and Dolere had liaisons with other individuals countless times.  
  
For some time now, Draco had kept this woman, who was called Regina, as a mistress. Dolere had known, and not cared very much, for she had broken the bond of their marriage numerous times within the month. Dolere, Ariana, and Debra had all been waiting for Dolere to make a fatal mistake with Cate.  
  
Regina was nine months pregnant, and wore a diamond engagement ring on her finger. Draco had met her long after he was married to Dolere, so the two had needed to devise a plan to get Dolere out of the picture. The immediate thought was of Cate, whom Dolere hated with a vivid passion, and Bellum, who Draco could tell Dolere had feelings for.  
  
So day-by-day, Draco stressed how Dolere should have been with Bellum, leaving him alone to be with Regina. Dolere's fragile mind had been infiltrated with even more hatred for Cate, and eventually, she devised her own plan.  
  
This gave Draco much more time with Regina. Dolere was now out of the picture, and eventually met her end, as Draco and Regina had planned. Draco was particularly proud of this plot, as Cate had ended up miserable for about half a year. He too had a bit of a hate towards Cate and Bellum, for they left him out in the dust with Dolere.  
  
Ariana was Draco and Dolere's daughter, but there was talk of Debra being another man's child. Neither Draco nor Dolere wanted to prove if she was or not, so Draco accepted her as his own, if she was or not. But now Regina was going to have a son. Finally someone to carry on the Malfoy name, Draco thought. Dolere never was a use.  
  
Draco's thoughts were interrupted, as Regina grabbed his hand tightly, giving a moan about something Draco didn't understand. Quite soon, he could feel his bones beginning to crunch. Regina was in labor. Giving a dejected sigh, Draco Malfoy disappeared, very disappointed that he would not get a change to poke fun at Harry Potter.  
  
Meagan had been asked to sing for the entertainment portion of the evening. Her duet partner had bailed out, with a sudden flash of the flu. She was alone on the stage, to sing without a male harmony to counteract her voice.  
  
Who could she use as a replacement? Not Harry, that was for certain; he wasn't a very talented singer in the least. Ron? No, he was worse than Harry. As Meagan scanned the crowd, hoping to find some famous male singer, her line of view became focused on Cate and Bellum. They were waiting for music to start playing, and Cate was glaring bloody murder at Meagan, trying to force her to start singing.  
  
Meagan grinned, and looked straight at Bellum, who shrank back behind Cate, which wasn't the smartest idea, because Cate wasn't a very big person. Meagan leaped off the stage, and cantered forward to where he was.  
  
"No!" He said, before Meagan could ask him anything at all. "I'm not going to sing." Cate glared at Meagan to enforce her opinion on the matter. "Besides, what would I sing?"  
  
Meagan grinned, and managed to hook Bellum's arm. He gave a cry, and tried to pull away. Oh, make yourself useful you stupid lump. I can't baby-sit you if it hurts my eyes to watch you and Cate on the dance floor, all over each other! Meagan said to Bellum in her mind.  
  
Bellum heaved a sigh, and grabbed Cate. He looked into her eyes after a double-barreled glare aimed at Meagan, and said to Cate, "I'm going to be on stage. Stay here and watch." Cate nodded blankly. I hope you're happy. You owe me for this one.  
  
Not bothering to use his feet, Bellum appeared on the stage, apparently not happy at all about this, as Meagan walked up the stairs to join him. He crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air like a ten-year-old boy.  
  
"Since Johnny Magik was unable to be there tonight, I've stolen this from the crowd." Meagan said, her voice magically magnified slightly. "No need for introductions, you all know who he is, and he's being a big baby at the moment."  
  
"I am not!" Bellum interjected, forgetting his feigned silence. He went back to sulking behind Meagan as he mumbled something about Frank Sinatra. Meagan shook her head, and started her line of songs she sang alone.  
  
"Now you've gotta sing a slow song with me." Meagan hissed. Bellum made a face. "Oh, bear with it, you baby. From this moment is the song, and don't tell me you don't know the words. I know you do."  
  
Bellum groaned, but sang along with Meagan, who was actually surprised that he gave it some effort, and managed to sound better than most professional singers. When the song was over, ending in a perfect harmony, even Bellum was grinning.  
  
"Not too bad, is it?" Meagan asked Bellum, who nodded, taking a bow for the crowd. "It's rather addicting." Meagan herself took a bow as well, listening to the roaring applause.  
  
Bellum and Meagan's singing turned out to be more popular than Johnny Magick's was. There were already a few crazed Bellum fans awaiting his exit from the stage. Meagan was quite astounded that Cate was married to someone entertaining as entertaining as Bellum. Though he seemed a bit dim, he really was quite brilliant.  
  
As the evening rolled on, Bellum got to enjoy his attention more than Meagan enjoyed singing, which she thought would never have been possible. "Do you know Luck Be a Lady?" He asked eagerly. Meagan shook her head. "You do now!"  
  
And Meagan found that she did. She shot Bellum a quick glare for adding the song to her mind, and sang on, quite glad that this song had a nice alto melody that was easy for her to sing. Bellum sang along well with the tenor counterpart, enjoying himself more than ever.  
  
Eventually, Meagan left Bellum to sing songs of his own on stage. The crowd had never heard very old songs by Frank Sinatra, so they figured he had invented them all on his own. This caused an uproar with most of the single female guests.  
  
Cate was still in a daze. To end his stage career, Bellum pulled Cate up with him for one last number by himself. Still rather dazed, Cate watched his every move, as he tipped his hat, and jumped off the stage, pulling her with him.  
  
Somewhere in the mid-jump reality hit Cate, and she landed on her feet. Bellum pulled her close to him, and they swayed to the tune of the music the band was playing. Cate looked suddenly confused, but just sighed, and leaned her head against her husband's chest.  
  
"Ah, I love you Catie." Bellum whispered, patting the top of her head. Cate lifted her head slightly and kissed his neck. The two sighed. "How much longer are we going to stick around here?" Bellum asked out of curiosity.  
  
"Mmmm. Ten minutes." Cate said. "Unless you want to stay longer." Bellum shook his head vigorously. "Say, what do you think they did with all the students?"  
  
A thoughtful look crossed Bellum's face. "I haven't the slightest idea, Cate darling." He replied. Cate sighed, and leaned her head against him. Really, what had become of all the students Hogwarts held?  
  
***  
  
"I don't bloody believe it!" Bryce Black said hotly, slamming his fist against the backside of the common room entrance. He thought he heard the fat lady give a groan outside. "Locked inside our common rooms!"  
  
The whole room gave a groan. Everyone knew that there was a reunion and all the adults of the past were going to show up. Brynn, Bryce, Mac, Ethan, Crystal, Fred, George, and Brain had all looked forward to wreaking havoc upon them all. But to their displeasure, the teachers had already thought up this plan for students of their character.  
  
"This is so not fair!" Crystal said, adding her opinion. "What if I just wanted to see my parents?" The whole room laughed. No one wanted to see their parents; they came to school to escape them.  
  
"Maybe they forgot to seal the windows!" Brynn exclaimed with excitement, rushing to the nearest window. "We could make a surprise entrance that way!" She said again, as she tugged the window. There was no use; it was stuck. Even Austin Wood couldn't open it.  
  
"I think I'll go crazy!" Neil sighed. Rachel was bouncing off the walls, yelling at the portraits hanging on them. "Rachel has had too much sugar. again!" Rachel took a bounding leap and toppled Neil over in his chair. A few books went flying, and no one bothered to pick them up.  
  
Brian, Crystal, Fred, and George had already developed a bad case of cabin fever. They were attacking one another with brute force, otherwise known as fist fighting. Crystal and Brian were in a full-out brawl on the floor, screaming that one was weirder than the other-or something.  
  
"Now see here, kiddies!" Ethan said loudly, grabbing one of the hidden beater clubs, and jumping atop one of the couches. "See how Common Room Quidditch is really played. Remember that hitting a civilian is worth ten points, knocking them out is fifty, hitting Bryce is worth sixty, and knocking Bryce out is one hundred. But if anyone gets Brynn, she's worth two fifty, and if she's knocked out we'll just flat out say you win!"  
  
Brynn threw the Quaffle in the air, and Bryce took a leap, swinging hard at Ethan, who ducked, causing the ball to hit Neil, who was picking up his books. "Ten points to Pugnare, for the duck, and five to Bryce Black for the swing. Ooh.. Looks like Potter won't be getting up for a while. Ah, he's knocked out, so it seems that fifty points go to Ethan for the duck, and forty to Bryce!" Commented Austin Wood, who wasn't allowed to play with the four menaces to Gryffindor.  
  
By the time Neil had picked himself up, Brynn had started her magic. Being the best beater in Hogwarts (she considered herself better than her brother Bryce, who was better than everyone but Brynn) she was the true person to watch out for in this game. She used the couches as trampolines, and could execute a few spins before she landed on the ground to look at the damage she caused. Students were ducked under chairs, tables, and other students to get away from her wrath.  
  
The game wasn't over until one of the four players was knocked out. This game it was the unfortunate Bryce who met that terrible fate. He turned around to see what Brynn was pointing at when the Quaffle nailed him in the perfect spot on the back of his head.  
  
"Brynn, I don't think it's fair that you always knock out poor Bryce." Ethan said, scratching his head and looking down at his uncle. "Just because he's vulnerable." Ethan didn't have a chance to finish what he was saying, as he fell to the floor, and the Quaffle bounced off the back of his head.  
  
Brynn looked puzzled. She hadn't taken out Bryce and Ethan, and it certainly hadn't been Mac, who was standing next to her looking just as befuddled. Then she heard Crystal saying loudly, "Neil, now just think of how they're going to get you now! At least it was only Bryce and Ethan. they're mindless."  
  
Neil grinned to himself, holding his bat tightly. It served the two of them right for being part of his being unconscious. Brynn and Mac had to smile, and they snickered at Ethan and Bryce forever as a First Year knocked them out cold.  
  
As about half the bystanders were out already, the rest of the Gryffindors made off to their dormitories for sleep-or whatever else. Neil, however, feeling rebellious this particular day, decided to go off to the place he knew there would be peace.  
  
"Hello, Neil." Felicity said dully. "Your common room sealed shut too?" Neil nodded. Felicity was sitting on the bench she had conjured some time ago, looking off into the endless array of stars.  
  
"I suppose your parents are out there in the school someplace, causing awe in the crowd." Neil said, plopping down next to Felicity on the bench. "I know mine sure are." He sighed.  
  
"Of course mine are," replied Felicity with a taste of malice. "Would Cate and Bellum Pugnare ever give up an opportunity to show themselves off? Would my mother give up a chance to manifest her body? No, no, no. They're both arrogant to extremes."  
  
Neil shrugged. He knew Cate was rather arrogant, but Bellum had always seemed rather humble. But Felicity lived with the two, during summers, anyway. Her opinion had to be more accurate than his was.  
  
"Well, my parents are like that too." Neil confessed. "They don't think they are, but they really do hold high opinions of themselves."  
  
Felicity sighed. "You're so humble, though." She said. "Sometimes I feel just as arrogant as my mother is. Neil, you're lucky you're a good person. I have to fight myself so I don't turn out into something like my mother. I really do wish I could be a good person."  
  
"You can be." Neil said. He wasn't quite sure it would ever be possible for felicity to be a truly good person, but. "You're always nice to me here. I can talk to you about anything, and you'll listen. The way I listen to you."  
  
"But this isn't dong something out of the good of my blackened heart." Felicity said. "You do something in return. The nicest thing I've ever done would be not killing Brian when he stole the voodoo doll I made of him."  
  
Neil scratched his head. "Well, you can always, uh, work on it." He nodded. "Do something nice tomorrow, then. Then talk to me, and we'll do it everyday until you're good."  
  
Felicity laughed. Like Neil, she never believed she would be a good person. It went against how she had been for twelve and a half years. "You'll be seeing me forever then." She said with a smile. "I'll give it a try. You sure are a charitable person."  
  
"No other way to be," said Neil. He had been raised to do good, even to the evilest of all people, save perhaps Voldemort and other murderers. But being kind to a Pugnare was something he had never been taught to do. This was something he had learned from his own heart.  
  
"Well, it's about 4 a.m." Felicity said. "I'm going to go to sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow at about midnight."  
  
Neil waved, as Felicity disappeared with a flicker. He still saw the outline of her body against the stars until he blinked. Alone again, he thought. I'm always alone.  
  
***  
  
Through the open window of Cate and Bellum's stately bedroom, the moonlight lit the whole room, to add to the glow of the candles that burned, giving off a sweet smell of romance. The gentle breeze played with the sheer red lace curtains, as the stars twinkled in the velvet night sky.  
  
The door slowly creaked open, and another glow was added to the room. Cate smiled at Bellum, and watched as his skin lit up where she touched him. The glow Cate was giving off could have very well been enough to light the room, so the candles dimmed, and the moon glowed less to make the lighting perfect; not too dim, and not too bright.  
  
Cate loosened the red necktie Bellum wore, and he gave a sigh, and then put his arms around her. Cate tugged the tie off, and looped it around the back of his neck, then pulled him close and kissed him. The kiss lasted for what seemed an eternity, and then the two pulled away ever so slightly; Cate's eyes were sparkling gold more than they were brown.  
  
"Where's Faye?" Cate asked, ruining the ever-romantic moment. Bellum sighed, and pulled Cate to the bed, and they landed on the soft mattress, sinking in slightly. "Where's our baby?"  
  
"Relax, Cate!" Bellum said, pulling Cate close to him, and letting her roll on top of him. "Remember my parents have her. We have this night to ourselves." He smiled, and pressed his lips on Cate's neck. "Stop being so tense. everything is alright now."  
  
"But I can't!" Cate objected, rolling off Bellum, and untying one of her shoes that laced up her leg. "I'm afraid." She said, kicking the shoe off, and followed with the other shoe. After her shoes were off, she rolled back over on Bellum, who grunted.  
  
"Nothing's gonna get us anymore." Bellum said soothingly. Cate sighed. "I won't die again." He said, knowing that Meagan would go to great ends to prevent his death. He had seen the disaster that had formed in his absence, and was in no hurry to die again.  
  
"What was it like to be dead?" Cate whispered. She sounded scared of her own question. Cate could faintly remember what death was like from her own experiences as a child. It was cold, and lonely, and horrible.  
  
Bellum considered. He didn't remember much about his death; it had all seemed so fast. "I suppose you could say I didn't have a proper afterlife." He said finally. "When I died, the Founders took me in for counseling, and I weighed the ghost issue in my mind for quite some time.  
  
"Then I was here, and you know that part of the story." he continued. "When I err- perished once more, you could say, then I went to some place they referred to as The Spirit Realm. It was full of discontent souls, and guarded by some awful woman called Aes. She took pleasure in tormenting us with visions of what was happening in the world."  
  
Cate nodded sympathetically. "But the worst part," Bellum continued. "Was that you weren't there. I could live anywhere as long as you were there. Even in the darkest forest in the world."  
  
Cate smiled. She ruffled his messy brown hair, and kissed him. "Bellum where's Faye?" She asked again. Bellum shot her a glare. "Okay, okay. I was only kidding." Cate said, ruffling his hair more, and rolling off him, to avoid being pulled into a tight hug.  
  
"You think you're getting away that easily, do you now?" Bellum said, righting himself, and chasing after Cate, who had sprang off the bed, and was across the room at the moment. "You might be quicker with a broom, but I can beat you on my feet!"  
  
There was a short struggle, wherein Cate dodged her husband, and slipped out of his arms twice. But even though the bedroom was huge, there was only a limited amount of space. Cate found she was trapped in a corner as Bellum advanced on her. When he caught her, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her tenderly.  
  
"God damn it, I missed you." Cate whispered, finally giving in, succumbing to a kiss. "Don't ever leave me again."  
  
***  
  
Godric Gryffindor found himself in a bit of a predicament. Facing him was a tall man wearing white robes, with a white beard to match. His face was ageless, but seemed to Godric that he was thousands of years old. But it didn't matter how old his face was, it mattered that the expression it wore was angry.  
  
"Godric," said the tall man in a loud booming voice. "Explain your actions." He said, placing his hands on his hips, and looking down at the notably famous Godric Gryffindor as if he were a child.  
  
Gryffindor bowed his head. "These are my heirs! My descendants!" He said quietly. "I can let Cate suffer, and leave Meagan to try and deal with all the evil." He looked up at the man before him, hoping for sympathy. The man showed none.  
  
"Bellum Pugnare was a mortal man." The man boomed. "Tiira and Venire Pugnare were mortals. Sirius Black should have remained in the Spirit Realm, as he was mortal as well. You, Godric Gryffindor have no right to play with Fate. Have you any idea how the future is changed?"  
  
Godric Gryffindor hung his proud head. Behind him, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin bowed their heads as well. "And the three of your support him! You've disgraced me as your creator. You were supposed to watch over the world. Not what has left the world.  
  
For showing carelessness in your job, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin are hereby sentenced to one hundred years, granted with leave for emergencies, in the Spirit Realm."  
  
Hufflepuff screamed, as the endless array of stars and dark began swirling together. Slytherin groaned from motion sickness, and Gryffindor fell to his feet. Ravenclaw remained standing as a new surrounding blurred into view. But she choked up tears, as she saw the pathetic faded souls floating towards them, wanting their life.  
  
This was now life.  
  
***  
  
Meagan woke with a start, and sat up, breathing heavily. "They're gone." She breathed. Harry gave a moan from beside her, and looked at her. "Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin are gone."  
  
Harry looked at her again, puzzled. What did she mean? The Founders had been dead four centuries now. Then the notion of Meagan's starlit places where she returned and talked of Gryffindor struck him like a brick falling from the Eiffel Tower. They were no longer there to influence what the heirs did.  
  
"Now I have to take responsibility." Meagan said, hopping out of bed and dressing herself magically. "I have to see Gryffindor."  
  
***  
  
"She was so good for us!" Tiira crooned, handing Faye to Cate, as they all sat with Paige, Jack, Bellum, and Venire in the sitting room. "She never cried once in the middle of the night!"  
  
Cate and Bellum smiled. "Isn't it odd?" Bellum said. "Most babies cry at the most inconvenient times one could possibly imagine, but Faye cries right when we can handle it, or not at all. We've got to be the luckiest parents alive."  
  
Bellum flashed a proud smile, and Cate handed Faye to him. Her hazel green eyes looked up at him as he explained to Paige and Jack, "She has nine lives, and she'll soak up all your powers." He said.  
  
Paige cocked an eyebrow. "Like a cat?" She asked.  
  
"Hmm." Bellum mused. "Little Faye isn't very catlike. more like a kitten." He said. "But she's used two lives, just before she was born. So she's like a seven-lived kitten." He smiled, at his own clever comparison.  
  
Jack bounced on the couch, holding onto Bellum's arm. He looked at the baby that was so unfamiliar to him and squealed, "Kitten! Kitten! Kitten! Kitty!" Cate grabbed Jack in mid-bounced, and ruffled his hair, which was in need of a trim now. "Kitty!"  
  
Bellum chuckled. "Kitty, eh?" She mused again to himself. "It's kind of sticking."  
  
"Kitty," Paige said. "That's cute! Are we going to call Faye Kitty now?" She asked, looking to Cate for her confirmation. Cate shrugged. "Kitty!" Paige squealed, overly excited at a new nickname for her baby sister.  
  
Jack was still shouting Kitty! When Meagan left her crystal ball, which she was using to keep watch of just about everyone. Preparation was key now. She was going to have to keep track of a whole lot of people, and their powers.  
  
***  
  
Harry Potter gave a forlorn sigh as the Second Year Gryffindors chattered without stop. He had tried everything; yelling, shooting sparks out of his wand, and threatening to dock them all in their grades.  
  
Having problems already, Harry did what he felt was needed for the students to calm down. With a great sparking, and smoke clearing, one of the closet doors opened, and Professor Snape walked through. The class fell silent in an instant.  
  
"Professor Snape," Harry said with Malice. "Is here to teach you a lesson today on the dark arts." Harry finished, as Snape grinned. He wanted to say how much he hated Snape, right in front of the old grease ball.  
  
"Yes." Snape said, swishing towards the class in his masses of black robes. Crystal, Brian, Fred, and George had been unlucky enough to get a seat in the front. Snape grinned; most satisfied as Brian shrank back when he drew near.  
  
"You all know, I'm sure, who is a good wizard or witch, and who is bad." He said, looking at the pupils he considered ignorant, and figured they didn't know. "But your youth deprives you of knowing what happens." He added, knowing that these were Gryffindors; they were good children, perhaps a little rule breaking, but not evil.  
  
"Professor Snape is going to give you a first hand look at what the criminal world is like." Harry added. Crystal groaned.  
  
"But Professor Snape is as old as the dinosaurs!" Crystal said, not having the slightest idea that her mother was just as old as Snape. She pretended Snape was not standing in front of her, docking points from Gryffindor as she spoke.  
  
"So for that we have." Harry snapped his fingers, and the closet door opened once more. Stumbling out in a heap were Cate and Bellum Pugnare, quite bust looking at the moment. "Err. Cate and Bellum?"  
  
Cate dropped her arms from around Bellum's neck and stared at the class of second years. "What the hell is happening here?" She said, forgetting that they were in a school, graced with the presence of students.  
  
Bellum shifted guiltily. "Well, uh, I volunteered to help with a particular lesson in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class." He said. The class, Snape, and Harry stared. "Oh will you all quit gaping at us like we aren't human?"  
  
Cate sighed. "Inside looks at what happens in uh-the inner circle of a dark lord." Bellum explained. Cate crossed her arms and nodded to show that she agreed to stick around, at least for a while.  
  
The students were still staring, save perhaps Crystal and Brian, who were rolling their eyes as Fred and George watched Cate with an open mouth. They were rewarded with an elbow from Crystal and Brian.  
  
"Well..." Bellum said, smiling at Harry and clapping his hands together. "No need for an introduction, I'm sure. You all know who we are-"  
  
"Yes, yes, Pugnare; cut the small talk." Snape hissed, quite annoyed. He had his arms crossed like Cate had, and was piercing a glare at her. He never had liked Cate. and Cate certainly hadn't taken a fancy to him.  
  
"I was an agent, and I got the best inside look you could imagine." He smiled at the class. Snape glared, as he clapped Cate on the back and added, "Catie here got the same look as I did!"  
  
The class looked relatively uninterested when Snape interrupted him to start his own little talk. Bellum stood behind him, and made bored faces, and to everyone's eternal surprise, Cate even joined in. Even Crystal had to snicker, at the ever-serious Cate making faces.  
  
After Snape hissed his lectures on the dark lore, he turned to Bellum, who had just finished making an interesting face. Bellum nodded at Snape, as if he had been paying attention the whole time, while Harry had a good laugh.  
  
Cate stepped up, and Brian waved enthusiastically at him. "Hello, sisssssster!" He said happily. Cate rolled her eyes and gave a mock-salute to Brian. "That's my sister, everyone!" Brian added, to those who did not know. "Yup, see." He stopped when Crystal punched him in the arm, and sank to nursing his bruise.  
  
"For the next week, you can expect to learn the tactics of the dark way. and my husband," she added, pointedly glaring at a few boys who were staring. "Will be teaching you how and why people turn to the dark side."  
  
Harry smiled, and clapped his hands together. He had originally wanted Meagan to come and give a talk, but she was busy, taking care of babies, and as he recently learned, the world. "This should be fun!" He said. The class merely stared.  
  
***  
  
Inside her dormitory, Felicity was alone, and she had her trunk open, displaying the many voodoo dolls she had created. She took a pin, and gave the one that looked like Crystal Potter a sharp poke in the thigh, before burrowing deeper into her trunk.  
  
On her bed, there was a cauldron, which help a bubbling red concoction. An old book was open on the bed near to it, open to a page, which read, "Perfection Spells and more." Felicity pulled out a small vial from her trunk, and gave a triumphant look. She dipped it in the cauldron, and looked at the red liquid, before downing it all. *  
  
"Felicity!" Called a random person in the crowd of people huddled near Felicity. "Will you teach me how to be so kind? Can you teach me to be good at Quidditch? Oh, teach me to be so smart and wise!"  
  
Felicity grinned, and said, "I promise I will, and you all know I never break promises!" She smiled, and everyone gushed. Professor McGonagall, who was also standing in the crowd smiled with pride upon Felicity.  
  
"Felicity, can you teach the class with me tomorrow?" She asked. "You've always been so good at advanced Transfiguration. The Seventh Years are dying to learn from the best! Snape wants you to help with a potions lesson tomorrow, as well."  
  
"Of course!" Felicity smiled, flashing her perfect white teeth. A number of people gasped, and went into explanations of how they wanted to be like Felicity. "After I give the Quidditch lesson, and help Hagrid tend the animals!"  
  
For Felicity, this was the beginning of perfection. Everyone loved her, and loved to love her happily. Only Neil had a slight feeling lurking that something was terribly wrong. This feeling began when he ran into the monster that came from the dungeons. Know one else, though, had the slightest notion of this, and were all living in agony.  
  
Neil sighed, after he escaped with nothing more than a bruise. The world suddenly seemed so terribly wrong. What was the matter? Oh well, Neil thought. Maybe Felicity could help..  
  
(A/N; DONE! Mwahahhaa! Okay, I'll note. Don't end Felicity's spell. Play with it, though and remember only Neil suspects something. I wanna see what you do with it. I'd also like to add that Faye's nine lives thing was inspired by the Chrestomanci thing, as was her nickname. Well, be QUICK about your chapter! I'll get you if you take five months again! Make the class project thing with Cate, Bellum, Harry, and Snape funny.  
  
Toodles,  
  
Cathy) 


End file.
